Applied Sound Design using Structural Optimization

- Structural dynamics and acoustic radiation of vibroacoustic systems: the influence of geometry on the structural vibration behavior, parameterization of material and geometry, implementation into commercial FE software

- Definition of targets for optimization task: identification of significant outcomes such as harmonics and modal damping, formulating and solving the optimization problem for the acoustic design of vibro-acoustic systems under definable criteria

- Sound radiation and auralization: sound intensity and sound power, radiation of sound, auralization of the system response of the structure, evaluation of sound and deriving measures for modification

After attending the module, the students are able to:

- explain the fundamental concepts and principles of the acoustic radiation and acoustic power

- create and examine a parameterized FE model of a structure in terms of geometry and material by using the software COMSOL Multiphysics

- understand the approach for structural optimization and its application in COMSOL

- analyze the vibration behavior of mechanical structures based on their mode shapes

- to develop a program based on the interface between COMSOL and Matlab, which is used for auralization and visualization of the results

- evaluate the emitted vibration response in terms of predefined targets and derive measures for further structural optimization

Advanced Maths, engineering mechanics, strutural dynamics, vibration theory

In the form of presentations, the students are taught the physical, mathematical and methodological basics of sound radiation and structural optimization, which they consolidate and deepen in independent study of handed-out literature.
In supervised individual work on the computer, students are introduced to the work with the software COMSOL Multiphysics and Matlab during the semester and continuously trained, whereby documentation and tutorials are offered to support independent further education.
The students work on subtasks, which the students introduce during the course to a final simulation project, which the participants independently solve on the computer.
The project results will be presented and evaluated in individual interviews and as concluding lectures.

Presentations, Whiteboard, supervised computer exercises, autonomous computer work, online learning materials

Introductory slides with literature references, manuals, exercises with solutions and example programs

The examination is an exercise that includes the processing of given subtasks and ends with a presentation of the results.
On the basis of the subtasks to be worked on, it is examined to what extent the students have understood the technical and methodological basics of sound radiation and structural optimization and how they can apply them. It is demonstrated in the tasks that the participants can create parameterized structural models with the commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics and control and simulate the acoustical characteristics by using MATLAB. It is shown that the participants can evaluate the results of their own FEM simulations and derive measures for further structural optimization with regard to defined acoustic and structural dynamic target values. In the presentation, the students show their insights in a suitable way including the work steps and derived measures in an understandable manner for the listeners and examiners.