Noise Pollution Reduction through a Novel Optimization Procedure in Passive Control Methods

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel optimization framework in passive control techniques to reduce noise pollution. The geometries of the structures are represented by Catmull-Clark subdivision surfaces, which are able to build gap-free Computer-Aided Design models and meanwhile tackle the extraordinary points that are commonly encountered in geometric modelling. The acoustic fields are simulated using the isogeometric boundary element method, and a density-based topology optimization is conducted to optimize distribution of sound-absorbing materials adhered to structural surfaces. The approach enables one to perform acoustic optimization from Computer-Aided Design models directly without needing meshing and volume parameterization, thereby avoiding the geometric errors and time-consuming preprocessing steps in conventional simulation and optimization methods. The effectiveness of the present method is demonstrated by three dimensional numerical examples.