Time domain finite element method for the calculation of impulse response of enclosed spaces. Room acoustics application

Abstract

This paper presents an assessment of the accuracy and applicability of the Time Domain Finite Element Method (TDFEM) for sound-field analysis of enclosed spaces. An outline of the method is displayed for the calculation of the impulse response of a reverberant room. Frequency response and cumulative spectral decay which are useful for the representation of spaces can be derived from the impulse response. Room impulse response of an actual room was first measured with the Maximum Length Sequence (MLS) technique and then calculated with the time domain finite element method in the low frequency range. Frequency response and cumulative spectral decay are extracted from the calculated impulse response and then compared with the measured ones. The computed parameters agree well with the measured ones. The time domain finite element method is a valuable technique for accurate prediction of the sound field of enclosed spaces.