Author(s)

C.M. Lee, L.H. Royster & R.D. Ciskowski

Abstract

Application of a coupled BEM-FEM technique to study earmuff attenuation C.-M. Lee", L.H. Royster^ & R.D. Ciskowski" ^Kia Motors Corporation, Seoul, Korea ^North Carolina State University, Raleigh, JVC 27225, CASA Technical Computing, Boston, 1 Introduction There have been many efforts to reduce work-place noise levels in order to protect the hearing of exposed workers. For instance, noise can be controlled at the source through engineering modifications or prevented from propagating by using barriers or surface acoustic absorption materials. However, the most common option employed for control is the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs), such as an earmuff or an earplug, that attenuate the pressure wave prior to its reception by the eardrum [1]. Several of the authors have investigated the dynamics of a coupled earplug and earcanal system [2, 3, 8]. When an earmuff is worn around the ears, the acoustic system of interest is the earmuff coupled to the wearer's ea

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