Sound Intensity Probes

The measurement of sound intensity provides information on the magnitude and the direction of the sound energy in the sound field. The measurement technique is used for a variety of applications such as the determination of sound power, sound absorption and sound transmission. Sound intensity is calculated from the quotient of the sound pressure and the particle velocity; sound pressure can easily be measured directly but the particle velocity is usually determined by a finite difference approximation. This requires two phase-matched microphones in a face-to-face configuration.

Brüel & Kjær provides a number of sound intensity probes that conform to Class 1 in the Sound Intensity Instrumentation Standard, IEC 61043, which describes the characteristics of microphone pairs, intensity probes and calibration techniques for intensity measurements.