Acoustic Simulation: an Integral Part of the Engineering Process

To facilitate an easy start in the acoustic engineering process, LMS Virtual.Lab Acoustics has seamless links to leading CAD and CAE tools, and even to the Test world. No more time lost in recreating models, re-meshing for different applications, or endlessly converting between different file formats. You can use your preferred Finite Element (FE) solver for structural analysis and have it even run in the background of the LMS Virtual.Lab environment.

LMS Virtual.Lab Acoustics dramatically accelerates both the cavity and exterior acoustic meshing process. For exterior meshing, the unique approach can be compared to wrapping the structure with a rubber sheet: small surface features are therefore smoothed, but the features responsible for the acoustic response remain in place. Acoustic meshes are validated automatically, free edges and ‘junctions’ are detected to ensure proper boundary conditions ą and any potential problems are flagged to prevent errors rippling through the process.

Even starting from incompatible structural models, it is easy to create structural vibration loads and apply them as an input for the acoustic calculation. One can quickly build-in acoustic properties, such as frequency-dependent absorbent surfaces, add complexity for more detailed studies or automatically generate ISO field-point meshes. Acoustic source definitions range from simple point sources to sophisticated distributed sources such as random pressures, diffuse fields, and even flow-induced noise.

In case your design is subjected to internal forces generated by moving parts, you can perform a system-level mechanical simulation using LMS Virtual.Lab Motion to accurately predict these forces and the resulting structural vibrations. This approach delivers more accurate results and provides significantly more insight in the cause of acoustic problems.

Robustness and speed of calculation are two of the critical attributes when it comes to applying acoustic simulation successfully in mainstream product development. Results are needed in time to feed back into the design. A week’s calculation should be reduced to an overnight calculation or even further down to a one hour calculation. The LMS SYSNOISE solver technologies have been recognized particularly for speed and robustness. Solvers are available in the frequency domain for stationary problems and in the time domain for transient calculations. Modal solvers, direct solvers, high-speed iterative solvers and Acoustic Transfer Vector (ATV) solvers provide the speed and robustness tuned to each particular application.

Engineers need to verify acoustic performance, identify existing acoustic problems and have to come up with qualitative solutions. They need a wide range of specialized post-processing tools to manipulate, visualize and interpret their data. LMS Virtual.Lab Acoustics has it all. From the initial avalanche of results, you will be able to grasp the most significant information, post-process it, identify design trends, and create graphical acoustic data representations. Stunning visual animations allow you to inspect structural vibration and acoustic patterns – and provide deeper insight as to what is really happening.