A simplified finite element method for studying acoustic characteristics inside a car cavity

A simplified finite element method has been developed for analyzing the acoustic resonances of a prismatic car cavity. Use is made of the non-variant geometric and material properties of such a cavity in one direction (across the width of the car) and the solution of the full three-dimensional problem is related very simply to the solution of a single two-dimensional problem, with a consequent reduction of computing effort. Some experimental results obtained for a half-size model of a car cavity are compared with the finite element results. The accuracy of the finite element solution is assessed by analyzing a rectangular cavity and a cylindrical cavity, for which analytical solutions are already available.