Sound concentration caused by curved surfaces

Abstract

In room acoustics, the focusing effect of reflections from concave surfaces is a well-known problem. The occurrence of concave surfaces has tended to increase in modern architecture, due to new techniques in design, materials, and manufacturing. Focusing can cause high sound pressure levels, sound coloration, or an echo. Although the problem is well known, the amount of amplification that occurs in the focusing point and the sound field around the focusing point are not. The pressure in the focusing point can only be calculated using wave-based methods. An engineering method that is based on the Kirchhoff Integral is presented to approximate the reflected sound field in and around the focusing point for a few basic geometries. It will be shown that both the amplification and the area of the focusing is strongly related to wavelength. The focusing caused by surfaces that are curved in two directions (sphere, ellipsoid) is much stronger than that caused by surfaces that are curved in only one direction (cylinders). This method enables designers to evaluate and thereby improve or redesign the geometry. The method is illustrated with a few examples.