Structural Acoustics Applications of the BEM and the FEM

In this paper we discuss how the boundary element method (BEM) may be used by itself or in conjunction with the finite element method (FEM) for the solution of problems in structural acoustics. Problems in this category include: the scattering of sound from an elastic solid or shell submerged in a heavy fluid such as sea water, and the sound field generated within a vehicle passenger compartment or aircraft cabin due to vibration of the surrounding structure. In the latter case, the modes of the structure and the acoustic fluid may be coupled even if the fluid is air. Two approaches to structural acoustics modeling are considered. In one approach, the BEM is used to model both the elastic and the acoustic parts of the problem. In the second approach, the FEM is used to model the structure, while the BEM is used to model the fluid.