Product number: B400

The B400 consists of a transparent plastic tube fitted at one end with a glass reinforced plastic enclosure containing two loudspeakers and at the other with a heavy sample holder.

A small microphone may be moved axially along the tube and its position measured. The loudspeakers are fed with a common pure tone from a function generator and the sound waves pass along the tube to the sample. Dependent upon the type of material and the tone frequency, a portion of the sound energy is absorbed and the remainder is reflected back along the tube. The portion absorbed being converted into heat by the viscous action of the airborne wave as it passes through the absorber.

Interference between the incident sound waves and those reflected result in a standing wave field whose amplitude varies along the length of the tube.

With the aid of the optional B400A instrumentation package the amplitude of the maximum and minimum signals received by the travelling microphone may be measured and from these values the Sound Absorption Coefficient at the test frequency may be measured.

Specifications and resources

Tube Clear rigid plastic, internal diameter Ø69mm x 1200mm long.
2 x Loudspeaker housed in a G.R.P. enclosure.
Sample Holder: Dense ‘Tufnol’ plug on which samples are mounted. Fitted with quick release catches.
Amplifier Unit To amplify loudspeaker and microphone signals.