Active Sound Transmission Control of an Experimental Double-Panel Partition Using Decoupled Analog Feedback Control

This paper addresses the construction, measurement, and analysis of a double-panel active partition (DPAP) and its accompanying analog feedback controllers. The DPAP was constructed by attaching an aluminum cone loudspeaker at each end of a short segment of a circular duct. Two analog feedback controllers were designed and built using the measured frequency response function of each panel. Two independent (decoupled) feedback controllers were then used to minimize the vibration amplitude of each panel in the presence of an acoustic disturbance. A normal-incidence transmission loss measurement system was used to assess the performance of the DPAP and of a single panel passive partition. Error signal attenuations show that it is both feasible and effective to simultaneously control both panels with decoupled feedback controllers, and that simultaneously controlling both panels of the DPAP has a distinct advantage over controlling a single panel. The reduction in vibration amplitude across the surface of the transmitting panel was confirmed with scanning laser vibrometer measurements. Transmission loss results were obtained for two passive and three active configurations. The average normal incidence transmission loss over the active measurement bandwidth (50–1,000 Hz) for the active double-panel was 60 dB. This is an average of 39 dB more transmission loss than a passive single panel partition.