Dr Elena ProkofievaLecturer and Researcher

Lecturer and Researcher

BSc, MSc, PhD, FIOA, MAES, MRAS

ANC accredited for Sound Insulation and EAS accredited for Air Tightness Testing

From August 2023, Elena is primarily involved in acoustic research as part of Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment. She is currently teaching in a variety of undergraduate courses, supervising post graduate students and teaching modules of the Institute of Acoustics Post-Graduate Diploma.

Elena came to UK in 1999 to achieve PhD degree, and participated in the research project between University of Bradford, UK and New Transducers Ltd (NXT) upon improvement of performance of flat DML speaker panels. This 3.5 year project led to the PhD degree in Audio Engineering awarded in 2003. After graduation, she worked at R&D department of Linn Products Ltd (2003-2007) as an acoustic engineer, before coming to RMP in 2007.

Elena worked on several product development and Knowledge Transfer projects (with Monarfloor Acoustic Systems Ltd, now part of BMI Group, SFX, Besblock, and others). As an acoustic consultant, Elena works on a wide range of projects for health and education (in Scotland and England). From project design to commissioning testing, the projects she was involved in include the Western General Hospital, Bargarran/ St John Bosco school, West Calder High School, James Gillespie High School, Dumfries Learning Town, Leicester Schools, Wallyford Primary School, Forth Valley College.

Additionally to extensive consultancy work, Elena widely participates in teaching at the Edinburgh Napier University and at the Institute of Acoustics. For 2 years until January 2023, Elena also acted as Vice President Northern Region Europe in the Audio Engineering Society.

Together with her work interests, Elena is fascinated with cooking and making small crafts by hand with her family. She still expresses passion to the audio engineering and loudspeakers, which also can be considered as craft work, if hand-made.

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Areas of expertise

Product development

Elena is regularly involved in new product development from prototype testing in small scale to full scale testing on real sites. She worked with products developed by such companies as Monarfloor Acoustic Systems (Icopal Ltd), Besblock Ltd, Intelligent Wood Systems, and others. Some newly developed products from Icopal, Besblock and other companies had been successfully trialled across England and then were entered into Robust Details Handbook.

Project management

Elena had been working as a project manager and acoustic expert of Low Carbon Building Technologies Gateway over the duration of this project (2009-2014). This project, sponsored jointly by Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and European Regional Development Fund had been run to support small and medium Scottish businesses to help them design and develop the innovative products for construction industry. In 2015 Edinburgh Napier University was awarded the Queens’s Anniversary Prize for this and other projects, all related to sustainable construction, timber engineering and wood science.

Research and knowledge transfer projects

Elena was a knowledge base supervisor for two KTP projects: with Monarfloor Acoustics systems Ltd (3 years) and with SFX Technologies Ltd (2 years).

The project with Monarfloor delivered the series of second generation flanking products for the full house isolation solutions. The project had been in the final for the UK KTP Awards in 2013. Elena also had supervised one of the members of the project team, who was the first student at Edinburgh Napier University to receive Master of Research degree in 2013.

SFX Technologies project had led to the development of new acoustic product – SFX gel audio transducer. Elena had been a PhD supervisor for the KTP associate at this project, who had been awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Edinburgh Napier University in 2013.

Project experience

Elena has worked in the audio industry as an acoustic design engineer for 4 years for Linn Products Ltd, Glasgow, UK. She was involved in many research projects during this time, including loudspeaker development, installation and demonstration. She also conducted research in room acoustics and acoustic modelling.

Acoustic design

Elena has been responsible for acoustic aspects of the planning, design and development, documentation, construction and commissioning of a large number of school projects in Scotland ranging from primary to higher education.

Sound Insulation Testing

Elena undertakes sound testing for numerous new build and refurbishment projects in accordance with ISO 140 and the requirements of Section 5 –of the Technical Handbook for the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004.  Elena is a registered ANC tester involved in sound testing in England and Wales in accordance with Approved Document E, the Building Regulations 2000.

Air Tightness Testing

Elena is a registered tester involved in airtightness testing in England, Wales and Scotland in accordance with ATTMA TS1 2007. These include various projects for Pihl UK Ltd, Anderson Monarflex Icopal UK Ltd, NB Clark and others.

Environmental Impact Assessment – Noise

Elena has undertaken a number of noise impact assessments in accordance with Planning Advice Note 1/2011 (for Scotland) and Planning Policy Guidance 24 (England & Wales) including transportation Road, Rail and Aircraft), leisure, commercial and IPPC industrial noise assessment.

Please see below some of the projects Elena has worked on.

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