Ford Focus ST

Tailored Engine Noise in Ford Focus

Ford Focus ST

Ford Europe has developed a tailored engine noise for the new Ford Focus powered by a 1.6-L EcoBoost engine. The system is called the Sound Symposer, which is a box with four chambers, two in the engine bay and two outside. The chambers are separated by a movable flap that opens when the engine is under high load, so that sound is transmitted to the outlet chambers. The system boosts engine volumes into passenger compartment in 200-to-450-Hz frequency range.

Watch the youtube videos to hear it work.

And you watch an advert for the Focus.
See also stories on Ford Media Release, SAE.

Web site migrated to wordpress

http://s.wordpress.org/about/images/wordpress-logo-stacked-bg.pngNoiseboard.com was started in June 2002 using the Postnuke content management system. After 10 years and several hacks, it was time to upgrade the site. It took a couple of weeks of work to migrate from Postnuke to WordPress. Most of the content has been converted from the old site to the new site with equivalent plugins.

If you have an amusing story to tell about acoustics and vibration consulting jobs, please send them to our forum.

I’ve tried to make it easier to register for the web site by allowing authentication from facebook, google+, twitter and others.

 

Fake Engine Noise

The online Popular Mechanics magazine has an interesting article on The Rise of the Fake Engine Roar. Those that have followed the history of active noise control will remember that Lotus created an acoustic system to create fake engine noise inside the cabin of automobiles to enhance the psychoacoustics perception of engine noise for passengers.

Ansys v14.5 near to release

The finite element analysis software Ansys version 14.0 has added a bunch of new capabilities for analysing acoustic problems. Version 14.5 is nearing completion to the release date and support channels have access to pre-release versions.

Acoustic Cloaking Device

Researchers at Duke University have shown both theoretically and experimentally a device that is capable of providing acoustic ‘cloaking’ at frequencies between 1kHz-4kHz. The demonstration works for very directional sound waves.

More information can be found on the BBC News web site.

Better MRIs using Low Frequency Noise

Researchers at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic have developed a technique that uses low frequency sound to vibrate internal organs and when used with a Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner (MRI) can be used to determine the elasticity or stiffness of internal organs, which is an indicator that something is wrong.

This new technique, called magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), was commercialised by GE Healthcare. They released their new device called MR-Touch, which is the first commercial application of MRE technology, which the company has licensed from the Mayo Clinic.

To read more about this story visit the Scientific American web site.