Session 1aNS: Advanced Hearing Protection and Methods of Measurement I 1aNS8. Sound transfer path analysis to model the vibroacoustic behaviour of a commercial earmuff

Hearing Protection Devices (HPD), such as earmuffs, are widely used to protect workers from noisy environments. Numerical predictive tools can be used to simulate the vibroacoustic behaviour of earmuffs and thus assess their sound attenuation and improve their acoustical design. The present work describes the implementation of a vibroacoustic finite element numerical model of an earmuff coupled to a rigid baffle in the frequency range from 20Hz to 5000Hz. An experimental assessment of the sound transfer paths through each element of the earmuff (cup, cushion, foam lining) using a specific acoustical test bench is first proposed. This analysis is then used to target the right level of model complexity for each component. An experimental validation of the FEM model is then carried out.