Scattered acoustic field above a grating of parallel rectangular cavities

Abstract

The aim of this research project was to predict the sound pressure above a wall facing composed of N parallel rectangular cavities. The diffracted acoustic field is processed by generalizing the Kobayashi Potential (KP) method used for determining the electromagnetic field diffracted by a rectangular cavity set in a thick screen. This model enables the diffracted field to be expressed in modal form. Modal amplitudes are subsequently calculated using matrix equations obtained by enforcing boundary conditions. Solving these equations allows the determination of the total reflected acoustic field above the wall facing. This model was compared with experimental results obtained in a semi-anechoic room for a single cavity, a periodic array of three rectangular cavities and an aperiodic grating of nine rectangular cavities of different size and spacing. These facings were insonified by an incident spherical acoustic field, which was decomposed into plane waves. The validity of this model is supported by the agreement between the numerical and experimental results observed.