Developing and validating analytical tools to predict the aero-acoustic performance of bespoke noise mitigation solutions

The characterization of empirical knowledge from observations is, generally, referred to as the Scientific Method. Most engineering best practices rely on ‘observations’ (e.g., laboratory testing) to make informed decisions for future projects and/or applications. While this approach is still considered to be the ‘state of the art’ in most fields of acoustics, it is especially relevant in the studies of architectural acoustics and environmental noise. Since it is not possible to test every permutation of product (and/or its configurations) and environmental conditions, the results of only common geometries and parameters are reported in databases for use by professionals. However, the described framework is rigid and prohibits true optimization of a solution which should consider the solution’s performance requirements, as well as the various constraints (site, project, multi-physics). A more sophisticated approach is possible, where analytical tools are developed to predict the multi-physics performance of products (such as silencers, plenum-silencers, louvers and enclosures). Numerical methods are relied on to validate these new tools against empirical data. The presented work demonstrates the optimization of a product’s aero-acoustic performance according to multi-variable constraints.