Coupling transfer matrix method to finite element method for analyzing the acoustics of complex hollow body networks

This paper exposes a procedure to couple multiport transfer matrices to finite elements for analyzing the acoustics of automotive hollow body networks with a minimum of memory requirements and computational time. Generally, hollow body networks are made up from a series of elongated fluid partitions similar to ducts or waveguides. These fluid partitions generally contain complex elements: junctions, noise control elements, and cavities. The location and type of these elements in the network, mainly the noise control elements (e.g., sealing parts), may impact the noise inside a car. In the proposed hybrid method, the elongated fluid partitions are modeled with fluid finite elements. All complexities are modeled with two-port or multiport transfer matrices. The coupling of these matrices to finite elements is naturally done at the weak integral formulation stage of the acoustical problem. The coupling does not add any degrees of freedom to, nor modify, the original finite element matrix system. Consequently, changing locations and types of noise control elements in the hollow body network is fast and does not require rebuilding the finite element system. This enables optimizing the acoustics of a complex network on a desktop computer. The hybrid method is compared to experimental results on a tee-shaped hollow body networks. Good correlations are obtained.