Meshing for acoustic analyses

The process for generating an appropriate mesh for an acoustics analysis is different than the process for generating a mesh for a structural analysis.

Element size and frequency in acoustic meshes

In an acoustics analysis, the following considerations influence the appropriate element size for the analysis. In general, the element size should be:

• Small enough to accurately model all regions of the model that are acoustically important.

• Small enough to ensure the overall accuracy of the solution. For example, in a Simcenter 3D Acoustics BEM analysis, the element size should be fine enough to represent the distribution of vibration on the surface of the body.

• No larger than a certain fraction of the acoustic wavelength for the highest frequency of interest. In general, a minimum of six elements per wavelength offers a reasonable compromise between solution accuracy and the overall size of the mesh.

In most meshing and mesh primitives dialog boxes, you can use the SizeForAcoustics function to specify the element size as a function of frequency. For more information, see Element size for acoustic analysis.

Acoustic meshes are different from structural meshes

Acoustic meshes need to meet a different set of requirements than meshes for a structural analysis. Typically, structural meshes are too refined for acoustics analyses. In an acoustics analysis, many elements are required to adequately discretize the fluid domain. To ensure that the solve times are not too long, you should always optimize the mesh based on the input frequencies for the analysis.

Acoustic mesh requirements depend on the solver

The process for developing the mesh that represents the acoustic fluid domain differs depending on the solver you use.

• Simcenter Nastran FEM acoustics and vibro-acoustics use the finite element method (FEM) of acoustics analysis. With this method, the fluid domain is discretized with 3D elements. For more information, see Meshing for FEM acoustic analysis.

• Simcenter 3D Acoustics BEM uses the Boundary Element Method (BEM) of acoustics analysis. With this method, the fluid domain is discretized with 2D elements. For more information, see Meshing for Acoustics BEM analysis.

Learn more

Meshing for Acoustics BEM analysis

Supported element types for Acoustics BEM analysis

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Fluid materials for acoustic analyses

Supported fluid material properties

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Meshing for acoustic analyses, Simcenter 3D 2021.1 Series

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