Olga Umnova has been awarded two research contracts to look at novel acoustic absorbers.

Graded index acoustic “black hole” device for shock wave absorption

The aim of this work is to design and test the broad band omnidirectional absorber utilising graded index acoustic materials. The structure consists of an absorbing core and the surrounding ray capturing metamaterial layer whose impedance varies along the radius according to the power law. The device is aimed to provide nearly 100% absorption of the wave irrespective of the incidence direction (hence “black hole”) by capturing the wave and bending it towards the core where it is absorbed. Any blast absorber (gravel or sand piles, foams etc) used without the capturing layer suffer from angle dependent absorption with a significant amount of energy reflected due to impedance mismatch. The proposed device is aimed to solve these problems and and its effectiveness for high intensity shock pulses will be tested.

Membrane acoustic metamaterials for ear defenders with low frequency capability

Low frequency noise transmission into the cavity of an ear muff is enabled by transverse vibrations of the ear cup coupled to possible leakage. Ideally, to be efficient at low frequencies, the protectors need to possess a large cup and a very stiff cushion. This is not always practical, however, because such combinations affect the comfort and the mobility of the personnel wearing the protectors. The solution put forward in this proposal will minimise the contribution from the cup vibrations by combining the usual cup design with a metamaterial structure. Metamaterials are effective media, averaged over meta-cells that are subwavelength structures. As a consequence, to be efficient at low (less than 1kHz) frequencies many designs require too much space, or are too heavy to be used in hearing protectors. A way forward involves two particular designs of membrane metamaterials that have been suggested recently, both allowing a significant increase in transmission loss, compared to natural materials, in the low frequency range. They represent two types of acoustic metamaterials that are based upon locally resonant materials and transmission line structures that provide access to much broader bandwidths and lower loss. The goal of this project is to invent the designs of two types of membrane acoustic metamaterials that not only light but thin enough to be used inside an ear defender cup.

In the recent Salford NUS Student Experience Survey, for semester 1 2011-12, only two programmes, across the college, received a Gold Star for overall student satisfaction. These were BSc Computer Science and BSc Software Engineering

The report by the Union can be found here: Student Experience Report for the College of Science and Technology

Our Multimedia and Internet Technology MIT programme should not feel too left out, as in last years full National Student Survey (NSS) it was one of the most highly rated courses in the university as well.

We are offering Graduate Teaching Assistantships in a variety of research areas, to start in October 2012.

This scholarship scheme offers a valuable opportunity to study for a PhD while teaching in subjects broadly related to your PhD research. Previous Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) report their teaching assistantship has provided advantages in a range of professional, industrial, research and academic careers.

The Graduate Teaching Assistantship covers full tuition fees and the scholarship for three years, based on successful PhD progression. The scholarships are worth £13,590 per year (2011-2012 levels) and are available to Home/European Union students.

The closing date for applications is 17 February 2012. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will take place in March 2012.

For further information on the research topics available for proposals, please visit the University's GTA Scholarship pages.

One GTA Studentship has been reserved specifically for Civil Engineering, and preference will be given to a topic in sustainable water management.

• Sustainable water management
  • Integrated constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment
  • Sustainable flood retention basins to control flooding and diffuse pollution
  • Sustainable drainage systems
  • Water quality control
  • Water, wastewater and stormwater treatment and management
    
• Geotechnics and structural engineering
• Transportation
  

For information on how to apply for any of these GTA Scholarships, please read this important information.

Why does Beetham Tower whistle in the wind?

When you blow across the top of a beer bottle, the air moving across the edge creates a sound. The same thing is happening with the Beetham Tower, air moving across the edge of the fins on the top of the building create sound. (This is why an earlier temporary repair put foam across the edge of the fins, because this stopped the air making a sound.)

The air movement then excites a resonance, probably of the air gaps between the fins, but the panels might also be flexing. The lattice work on top of building has the panels all spaced the same distance apart, and the resonance at 240Hz is caused by this periodicity. The note is roughly a B below middle C. Below are recording I just made close to the tower

The hum is currently audible from Chorlton 3-4 miles south of the city in my home!

Recordings of Beetham tower howling in the wind 4th January 2012

Photo from Wikipedia

Trevor Cox

On 5th December BSc(Hons) Professional Sound and Video Technology was re-accredited by the Joint Audio Media Education Support (JAMES). This means that industry experts have looked closely at the course and agree that it provides a high quality education appropriate for the industry. The accreditors were very impressed with both the course content and the new facilities provided at MediaCityUK.

One of the accreditors commented:

‘Many thanks to you and your team for the time, organisation and hospitality that was afforded us. I found the experience to be inspirational.’

More details on BSc(Hons) Professional Sound and Video Technology can be found here