| title: | Sound generation mechanisms in grand pianos |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5566 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
2.3. Mechanics |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | Institute of Cybernetics at Tallinn Technical University |
| head of project: | Anatoli Stulov |
| duration: | 01.01.2003 - 31.12.2006 |
| description: | The main goal of this four-year study is constructing a physical model of the grand piano. Conservation laws are used to calculate the motion of the hammer, string, soundboard, and thereby compute the sound produced by the instrument from "first principles". At present, we have the modern hysteretic piano hammer model, and the rather complete information about the piano hammer features. These data were obtained experimentally using the new Piano Hammer Testing Device developed and built in the Institute of Cybernetics at TTU. The next step of our theoretical study is the investigation of the piano soundboard bridge. Taking into account the geometry and stiffness of the soundboard (with ribs), the dependence of the bridge admittance on the frequency could be obtained. This result gives a possibility to simulate for the first time the piano string excitation by hysteretic hammer for the real type of boundary conditions. This is the case of the string with the rigid support at one end and with the impedance support at another. The proposed project includes the investigation of the piano string described by the perfectly flexible model and by the stiff model. The various numbers of strings in the choir will also be considered. It gives the possibility to investigate the energy transmission between the coupled strings that depends on the piano bridge admittance. The successful performance of the project could give large economic benefit for piano makers all over the world, especially in Tallinn Piano Factory. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Anatoli Stulov | Institute of Cybernetics at Tallinn Technical University | senior research fellow | |
| 2. | Taavi Ugam | Institute of Cybernetics at TTU | engineer,PhD student | |