SBIR Phase II: A Multilevel Method for Rapid Evaluation of Sound Fields

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to extend the current high frequency limit of acoustic analysis by two orders of magnitude and facilitate numerical simulation of extremely large sound structure interaction problems. The proposed method will advance the state of the art in numerical acoustics by integrating the Fast Multipole Method (FMM) with the direct and indirect formulations of the Boundary Element Method (BEM). The FMM-BEM technology reduces analysis time in computational acoustics by two orders of magnitude. Accurate acoustic analysis of automotive and aircraft interiors in the entire audible frequency range will become practical for the first time. The technology will also allow detailed computation of the acoustic characteristic of submarine hulls, and quantitative assessment of the occupational safety concerns of workers subjected to jet engine noise at airport ramps.