Methods and systems for active sound attenuation in a fan unit
AssigneeNortek Air Solutions, LLC
InventorLawrence G. Hopkins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for controlling noise produced by an air handling system, for example, is provided. The system includes a source microphone to collect sound measurements from the air handling system and a processor to define a cancellation signal that at least partially cancels out the sound measurements. The system also includes a speaker to generate the cancellation signal. The sound measurements are at least partially canceled out within a region of cancellation. Accordingly, the system further includes a response microphone to collect response sound measurements at the region of cancellation. The processor tunes the cancellation signal based on the response sound measurements.
Claims31
A method for operating an air handling system, the method comprising:
- receiving air through an inlet of the air handling system;
- moving the air through the air handling system using a fan unit located inside the air handling system;
- conditioning the air using one or more conditioning components inside the air handling system, the one or more conditioning components located upstream or downstream of the fan unit;
- collecting sound measurements from the air handling system, the sound measurements being defined by acoustic parameters,
- determining values for the acoustic parameters based on the sound measurements collected;
- calculating offset values for the acoustic parameters, the offset values defining a cancellation signal that at least partially cancels out the sound measurements;
- and
- generating the cancellation signal based on the offset values.
An air handling system comprising:
- a cabinet having an air inlet and outlet;
- a fan unit located inside the cabinet and configured to move the air in a direction from the air inlet to the air outlet;
- one or more conditioning components located inside the cabinet upstream or downstream of the fan unit and configured to condition the air moving through the air handling system;
- and
- a noise control system comprising:
- a source microphone configured to collect sound measurements from the air handling system;
- at least one processor configured to define a cancellation signal that at least partially cancels out the sound measurements;
- and
- at least one speaker configured to generate the cancellation signal.
A fan array system comprising:
- a plurality of fan units arranged in a stack, each fan unit configured for active sound attenuation and comprising:
- a fan;
- a source microphone configured to collect sound measurements from the fan;
- at least one speaker configured to generate a cancellation signal that at least partially cancels out the sound measurements;
- and
- a response microphone configured to collect response sound measurements at a region of cancellation;
- and
- a processor configured to define the cancellation signal for one or more of the fan units in the plurality of fan units.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.