Acoustic analyses and simulations examine how acoustic waves are propagated in enclosed or open volumes. Acoustics is a special type of fluid analysis, one in which the fluid is essentially at rest (or in relatively restricted movement with no gross transport of the fluid, such as water sloshing in a tank). The variation of pressure throughout the acoustic medium is assumed to be small relative to the average pressure of the field.

Using acoustic simulations, you can explore various properties of an acoustic field, such as the pressure levels and how they vary throughout the field as a result of the geometry of the enclosure, the type of acoustic excitation present, the materials used in the space, and so on. You can also include the effects of how the acoustic waves interact with the solid structures that surround the space to predict sound transmission levels through walls, determine the sound levels produced by a vibrating structure, calculate the deformations and stresses in solids due to acoustic pressures, etc.

Acoustic simulations are valuable in a wide range of applications, including the design and analysis of hearing aids, vehicle interiors, acoustic sensors and actuators, sonar devices, wave guides, auditoriums, musical instruments, load speakers and microphones, acoustic test facilities, highway sound barriers, piping systems, environmental control systems, consumer devices of almost any type, noise mufflers, fire alarms, and on and on. Any application where sound levels are of concern is a candidate for acoustic analysis.

The basic workflow of an acoustic analysis is similar to the other workflows in Mechanical. Acoustic simulations do require some different material properties, such as the propagation of the speed of sound in the acoustic medium or the acoustic absorption characteristics of the materials in the space or at the boundaries. The types of boundary conditions are also different: you may have enclosing surfaces that bounce the sound energy back into the acoustic field, or you may have open boundaries that allow the energy to escape completely from the model. Loadings can include pressures, displacement constraints, or flexible surfaces that allow the sound energy to be transmitted into the surrounding structure. Each of these acoustic-specific modeling considerations are discussed in the documentation.