The goal of this project was to build a very versatile demonstration device that could be used to illustrate various acoustical properties. This particular device is to be used by an acoustical engineer working for the automotive industry. Because he might have to transport this to different locations for demonstrations, the device should be portable and self-contained.

For optimum acoustical performance, the device should be a reverberation chamber. It should also be seal-able so that no sound leaks out of the enclosure. The dimensions of the device should be calculated so that the characteristic frequencies are evenly distributed.

This project is fairly large in scale; therefore, creating the device itself was the aim of this project. Designing a suitable sound source and determining a mode of transportation for the device are issues that will be dealt with later, and are not included in the scope of this project.

Several concepts were considered, and the final design ended up being a hybrid of a couple different concepts. The design that was decided upon is a reverberation chamber that sits directly on the floor. One side is open, and the opening can be covered by one of various steel panels that fit the top of the box. A wooden frame also fits the top of the box, and can be clamped by means of draw hasps on the four sides of the box. The top of the demonstration device and the bottom of the frame are both lined with weather stripping which serves to seal all air gaps and evenly distributes the pressure of the frame.

Damping can be demonstrated by shining a laser beam on a small mirror positioned on the panels, and vibrating the panels. Barriers can be cut to fit neatly inside the frame, and absorbers can be placed inside the device itself.

The final prototype fulfills the requirements and leaves some room for potential developments if the project is pursued further.