Use of the transmission line matrix method for the sound propagation modeling in urban area

Abstract

This paper deals with the sound propagation modeling in urban area. This problematic requires to take into account many phenomena that can have a substantial impact as well in semienclosed spaces as on long-range outdoor sound propagation, such as reflections and absorption on the frontages and on the ground, atmospheric attenuation, sound velocity variations related with wind and temperature vertical gradients, atmospheric turbulences. The numerical method used is the TLM (transmission line modeling), which has been originated in electromagnetism and adapted for acoustics applications. It consists in a physical rendering of the waves propagation based on the Huygens' principle. It is established on a spatiotemporal discretization of the domain using an iterative temporal process for sound pressure propagation, instead of the resolution of mathematical equations. The TLM model has then been developed in two and three dimensions allowing to combine all the phenomena affecting the sound propagation in urban area. Numerical simulations are given for canyon streets.