This module will consist of both a lecture based course 24 hours and a practical course 24 hours. The module will deal with noise (incl. Vibrations) and ionising radiation aspects of environmental health physics. The practical element will consist of both demonstrations and hands on work on the fundamentals of noise and radiation measurement. Giving the students an introduction into both the theory and practical aspects of these topics.
Noise and vibrations:
Part A Noise and vibrations
Introduction to Sound and noise measurement, Doppler effect, Intensity of sound, specific acoustic impedance, intensity of spherical wave, concept of far field. Sound Intensity Level, Sound Pressure Level, Sound Power Level. Addition and subtraction of sound levels, numerical problems. Frequency analysis, Weighting networks, phon scale, sones.
Microphones, sound level meters, vibration transducers. Equivalent Continuous Noise Level, time varying noise, Noise Dose and it's measurement,
The Hearing Mechanism and Causes of Hearing Damage
Noise Mapping
Common Industrial noise and vibration sources, Fans, motors, engines as sources and Energy transfers Categories of vibration and vibration levels Measurement and Accelerometers Transmissibility and vibration isolation.
Vibration and the human body Whole body vibration levels hand and arm vibration levels Standards relating to vibration exposure
Case study Room Acoustics
To cover Sound absorption, Reverberation Time of Room, Equations of Sabine, Intensity in reverberant field Sound Intensity Level due to combination of direct field and reverberant field Effect of additional absorber, Sound Transmission loss of a partition, the mass law, sound insulation, noise mapping.
Case Study Traffic and Motorway Noise Prediction of traffic noise, Road classification, calculation and estimation of usage, vehicle type, speed and size, road gradient and condition, inverse square law and ground cover, unobstructed and obstructed propagation, Reflection and viewing angles, multiple roads including road junctions. Abatement for traffic noise- barriers, embankments, elevated roads.
Cases Study Aircraft Noise To cover Noise disturbance around an airport due to planes and infrastructure activates Aircraft Classification, Engine Technology and Aircraft Noise, Noise Certification, Rating and Criteria for Noise Near Airports, Thrust takeoff the flight-path, Preferred Noise Routes, Aircraft Noise Contour Model (ANCM) and airport Noise Management Regulation,
Cases Study Railway Noise To cover Sources of Railway Noise, Traction Noise Rail/Wheel Auxiliary Equipment Noise – compressors, ventilation and brake systems, Aerodynamic Noise, train types and Spectrogram interpretation, Abatement Rating and Criteria for Railway Noise, Prediction of Railway Noise: the CRN
Cases Study Building Site Noise To cover Hierarchy of noise control Elimination Substitution Isolation Engineering Control at the source and in the transmission path, Vibration Control, Existing and new Workplaces noise, PPE and machine noise and vibrations and regulation
Radiation Element
Discovery and history of radioactivity
Brief Review basic atomic structure and the Bohr model Forces in the Nucleus, and the Nuclear force. Types of radiation- Alpha, beta and gamma, and their properties. Half-life and the radioactive decay law. Units in radioactivity Interaction of charged particles with matter. -Photo-electric effect, pair-production and Compton scattering. Range and half value layers. Shielding requirements. The Geiger counter, scintillation counter and examples of other radiation detectors. Principals of Radiation protection Radiation doses and dose rate calculations Handling small radioactive spills and the national emergency plan. ALARA principle and licence regulations. function of RPO RPII and ICRP Biological effects of radiation. Natural and man made radioactivity. Radon and Cosmic rays.
Radon in Ireland. Background radioactivity, and typical life-time exposure. Applications of radiation in industry; smoke detectors. NDT, thickness Measurements and sterilization. X-rays, their production, properties and uses. The use of radiation as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in medicine -techniques and procedures Nuclear fission and fusion. Nuclear fuel cycle and power production. Reactor design, pressurised water reactor, CO2 cooled reactor. Radioactive waste and its storage and disposal.
The methods employed will consist of varying degrees of lectures, discussion, problem-solving exercises, cases studies, self-directed learning, and practical work.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Formal Examination | 70 |
| Other Assessment(s) | 30 |