Uncertainty Analysis in the Noise Parameters Estimation

Abstract

The new approach to the uncertainty estimation in modelling acoustic hazards by means of the interval arithmetic is presented in the paper. In the case of the noise parameters estimation the selection of parameters specifying the acoustic wave propagation in an open space as well as parameters which are required in a form of average values – often constitutes a difficult problem. In such case, it is necessary to determine the variance and then, related strictly to it, the uncertainty of model parameters. The application of the interval arithmetic formalism allows to estimate the input data uncertainties without the necessity of the determination their probability distribution, which is required by other methods of uncertainty assessment. A successive problem in the acoustic hazards estimation is a lack of the exact knowledge of the input parameters. In connection with the above, the analysis of the modelling uncertainty in dependence of inaccuracy of model parameters was performed. To achieve this aim the interval arithmetic formalism – representing the value and its uncertainty in a form of an interval – was applied. The proposed approach was illustrated by the example of the application the Dutch RMR SRM Method, recommended by the European Union Directive 2002/49/WE, in the railway noise modelling.