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DAVID A. NELSON
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

David A. Nelson, INCE Fellow, INCE Bd. Cert., P.E., is an acoustical consultant with over 35 years of experience in acoustics and noise control. He provides a broad range of acoustical consulting services, including noise and vibration control for buildings and industrial plants, low-noise product design, sound quality analysis and design, integrated laboratory data acquisition systems, acoustical test facility design, and customized training courses.

EDUCATION

  • M.S.E., Engineering Acoustics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin , TX , 1984
  • B.S., Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 1981, with special emphasis in Acoustics

TYPICAL PROJECTS

  • Low-Noise Design: Design of products or equipment to achieve stringent noise emission criteria. Includes work on spaceflight hardware, medical devices, computers, and industrial equipment.
  • Sound Quality: Assess characteristics of sound from a human perspective by making calibrated recordings, computing sound quality metrics, identifying appropriate jury evaluation methods, modeling listener preferences, performing digital signal processing to create “virtual” versions of a device, and develop recommendations to achieve desired spectral balance. Includes work on computers, HVAC equipment, and medical devices.
  • Noise and Vibration Control: Identification and evaluation of sources, paths and receptors to permit impact assessment, rank-ordering of noise sources, and evaluation of potential mitigation methods. Includes work on industrial facilities (both for hearing conservation and environmental noise) and commercial buildings (e.g., HVAC, exterior noise intrusion).
  • Test Facility Design: Design test facility sound field properties and noise and vibration isolation requirements to meet appropriate test standards, perform chamber qualification, and assist with laboratory accreditation and quality program issues. Includes work on acoustic and vibration test facilities for spaceflight hardware, computers, architectural components, and telecommunications equipment.
  • Integrated Data Acquisition Systems: Provide computer-based customized data acquisition and analysis systems that measure and/or analyze noise emission (sound pressure, sound quality, sound power and sound intensity), noise reduction, transmission loss, sound absorption, test chamber sound fields, impulse response, vibrations.
  • Instruction in Acoustics and Noise Control: Provide customized training courses in acoustics, noise control and vibration control, using plain terms and audio demonstrations suitable to the technical capabilities of the audience. Topics have included noise control, acoustics, low-noise design, sound quality, architectural sound-absorbing materials
  • Architectural Acoustics: Provide recommendations aimed at providing an appropriate acoustical environment for interior spaces. Consider competing requirements of speech intelligibility and musical support, develop recommendations for appropriate reverberation time and background noise level. Develop recommendations for room size, shape, surface treatment and furnishings. Develop recommendations for mechanical equipment location and design and noise-control elements to isolate intrusive noises from both exterior and interior sources.

EXPERIENCE IN ACOUSTICS

  • Principal Consultant, Nelson Acoustical Engineering, Elgin , TX , 1998 to present
  • Lecturer in Noise Control, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, Mech. Eng. Dept., 1998 Fall Semester
  • Senior Consultant, Hoover & Keith Inc., Houston , TX , 1994 to 1998
  • Laboratory Technical Director, Acoustic Systems, Austin , TX , 1985 to 1994
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Applied Research Laboratories: The University of Texas at Austin , TX , 1981 to 1985
  • Research Assistant, Research Laboratory of Electronics, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge MA, 1979-1980

SOCIETIES

  • National Council of Acoustical Consultants (NCAC)
  • Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE)
  • Acoustical Society of America (ASA)

FORMAL CREDENTIALS

  • Fellow, Institute of Noise Control Engineering
  • Board Certified, Institute of Noise Control Engineering
  • Licensed Professional Engineer, State of Oregon
  • Licensed Professional Engineer, State of Texas
  • Licensed Professional Engineer, State of Arkansas
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