The New and Improved Applied Physics Acoustics Laboratory

During the Summer of 2006 the Acoustics Laboratory was completly renovated. Walls were torn down and the space was more than doubled. We got new carpet, new ceiling panels and new lights. We also got new Sonex^® acoustic foam panels for the walls, a separate enclosed and isolated anechoic room, and more space for student project areas and computer workstations. As of September 2006 we're still in the process of moving back into the lab. But here are some pictures of before, during, and after the renovation.

After the Renovation
Panoramic view of the new acoustics lab. Moving around the room from left to right is the student computer lab area (computers coming soon!), the new isolated and enclosed anechoic chamber, student research space, Dr. Ludwigsen's research computer and workbench, Dr. Russell's softball bat research center, and our classroom/conference area.

Student Work Areas
The first photo at right shows the student research areas. The U-shaped table is where we hold small class meetings, or where we meet to discuss research projects, or where we setup temporary experimental projects. The work bench behind the tables is for student research projects. The area in the far right (where the trombone is) is another student project area.
The second photo shows the computer workstation and project area. The computers aren't here yet, but we will soon have five work stations where students can analyze recorded sound and vibration files, use LabView to interface with acoustic transducers, and control experiments in the adjacent anechoic room.

Dr. Ludwigsen's Research Area
Dr. Ludwigsen has a number of ongoing research projects involving the acoustics of musical instruments (trombone, kalimba, and djembe) as well as sound localization, and computational modeling of acoustic problems. His computer workstation has software for analyzing editing sound files (and really nice monitor speakers), the latest version of LabView, as well as a powerful Finite Element Analysis software package for computational modeling of acoustic and vibration problems. Usually, there are at least one or two students working with Dr. Ludwigsen on various projects every term.
One faculty/student research project is an investigation into the acoustic behavior of bottles (officially known as "Helmholtz resonators") and the influence of shape on the sounds and frequency spectra they produce.

Dr. Russell's Softball Bat Research Area
Dr. Russell has an active research program investigating the acoustic and vibrational characteristics of aluminum and composite softball and baseball bats. A current project, funded jointly by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association and several bat manufacturers is an attempt to correlate the acoustic and vibrational signature of a bat with its performance in the hands of a player. In this lab area is a setup for doing experimental modal analysis to obtain the vibrational mode shapes and frequencies of a vibrating object, and various other acoustic and vibration tests. During the last couple of years several students have assisted in Dr. Russell's bat research, as well as on other projects involving the vibration of acoustic and electric guitars, sound radiation from tuning forks and loudspeaker arrays, and room acoustics.
In the foreground of the second picture you can see a some Harley-Davidson motorcycle mufflers and a thermoacoustic refrigerator demonstration, both of which have been part of student research projects.

Before the Renovation

The photos at right give an idea of what the lab looked like in the Fall of 2005 before the renovation started. Kind of crowded isn't it? Granted, it didn't always look this bad - stuff kept accumulating over the year through donations, and as research projects grew. Since 1996, this lab space has been used for research by two professors and several of our students. Twice, during the four or five years the lab looked like this, we offered our advanced lab course PHYS-484, Acoustical Measurements. Both times we had nine students (plus a professor) trying to work on three different experiments at the same time in this cramped space.
Before renovation the lab was jam packed full of stuff - almost to the point that the room was difficult to use for research and projects. One corner of the room (on the left in both photos) was a makeshift anechoic environment built from fiberglass anechoic wedges stacked on top of each other. The rest of the room was occupied with lab workbenches, tables, computers and equipment.
In spite of the crowded space, we have carried out quite a bit of good research with our students in this space. We have put the anechoic area to good use measuring directivity patterns of loudspeakers and collecting human localazation data with our binaural head measurement system. We have studied the acoustics and vibration of several musical instruments (trombones, drums, electric and acoustic guitars, and an old electric piano). We built a working demonstration model of a thermoacoustic refrigerator. We have done some very interesting research on the vibrational behavior of hollow aluminum and composite softball bats. The lab looks like a crowded mess (and it is), but we have some very nice equipment - research grade tools that most undergraduate students would never be exposed to.

Here's what the lab used to look like from the viewpoint of looking into the room from the doorway.
Here's what the lab used to look like from the viewpoint of standing in the corner underneath the bats.

During the Renovation
Here's a couple of photos showing the expanded lab space after the walls, ceiling and carpet had been ripped out and while the anechoic testing room was being built. Look how much more space we will have!

Acoustics at Kettering University

After the Renovation
Panoramic view of the new acoustics lab. Moving around the room from left to right is the student computer lab area (computers coming soon!), the new isolated and enclosed anechoic chamber, student research space, Dr. Ludwigsen's research computer and workbench, Dr. Russell's softball bat research center, and our classroom/conference area.
Student Work Areas The first photo at right shows the student research areas. The U-shaped table is where we hold small class meetings, or where we meet to discuss research projects, or where we setup temporary experimental projects. The work bench behind the tables is for student research projects. The area in the far right (where the trombone is) is another student project area. The second photo shows the computer workstation and project area. The computers aren't here yet, but we will soon have five work stations where students can analyze recorded sound and vibration files, use LabView to interface with acoustic transducers, and control experiments in the adjacent anechoic room.
Dr. Ludwigsen's Research Area Dr. Ludwigsen has a number of ongoing research projects involving the acoustics of musical instruments (trombone, kalimba, and djembe) as well as sound localization, and computational modeling of acoustic problems. His computer workstation has software for analyzing editing sound files (and really nice monitor speakers), the latest version of LabView, as well as a powerful Finite Element Analysis software package for computational modeling of acoustic and vibration problems. Usually, there are at least one or two students working with Dr. Ludwigsen on various projects every term. One faculty/student research project is an investigation into the acoustic behavior of bottles (officially known as "Helmholtz resonators") and the influence of shape on the sounds and frequency spectra they produce.
Dr. Russell's Softball Bat Research Area Dr. Russell has an active research program investigating the acoustic and vibrational characteristics of aluminum and composite softball and baseball bats. A current project, funded jointly by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association and several bat manufacturers is an attempt to correlate the acoustic and vibrational signature of a bat with its performance in the hands of a player. In this lab area is a setup for doing experimental modal analysis to obtain the vibrational mode shapes and frequencies of a vibrating object, and various other acoustic and vibration tests. During the last couple of years several students have assisted in Dr. Russell's bat research, as well as on other projects involving the vibration of acoustic and electric guitars, sound radiation from tuning forks and loudspeaker arrays, and room acoustics. In the foreground of the second picture you can see a some Harley-Davidson motorcycle mufflers and a thermoacoustic refrigerator demonstration, both of which have been part of student research projects.
Before the Renovation
The photos at right give an idea of what the lab looked like in the Fall of 2005 before the renovation started. Kind of crowded isn't it? Granted, it didn't always look this bad - stuff kept accumulating over the year through donations, and as research projects grew. Since 1996, this lab space has been used for research by two professors and several of our students. Twice, during the four or five years the lab looked like this, we offered our advanced lab course PHYS-484, Acoustical Measurements. Both times we had nine students (plus a professor) trying to work on three different experiments at the same time in this cramped space. Before renovation the lab was jam packed full of stuff - almost to the point that the room was difficult to use for research and projects. One corner of the room (on the left in both photos) was a makeshift anechoic environment built from fiberglass anechoic wedges stacked on top of each other. The rest of the room was occupied with lab workbenches, tables, computers and equipment. In spite of the crowded space, we have carried out quite a bit of good research with our students in this space. We have put the anechoic area to good use measuring directivity patterns of loudspeakers and collecting human localazation data with our binaural head measurement system. We have studied the acoustics and vibration of several musical instruments (trombones, drums, electric and acoustic guitars, and an old electric piano). We built a working demonstration model of a thermoacoustic refrigerator. We have done some very interesting research on the vibrational behavior of hollow aluminum and composite softball bats. The lab looks like a crowded mess (and it is), but we have some very nice equipment - research grade tools that most undergraduate students would never be exposed to.	Here's what the lab used to look like from the viewpoint of looking into the room from the doorway. Here's what the lab used to look like from the viewpoint of standing in the corner underneath the bats.
During the Renovation
Here's a couple of photos showing the expanded lab space after the walls, ceiling and carpet had been ripped out and while the anechoic testing room was being built. Look how much more space we will have!