Recent Developments of The Boundary Element Method to Noise Control Problems in Automotive Engineering

The Boundary Element Method (BEM) is a computational method for solving the acoustic wave equation when the acoustic domain has an irregular or arbitrary shape. The BEM is distinguished from other numerical methods such as the finite element method in that with the BEM only the surface or the boundary of the acoustic domain needs to be discretized. In this paper some examples are presented concerning problems in automotive industry involving the radiation of sound from engines and other vibrating structures, the acoustical response of passenger compartments of vehicles and the attenuation of mufflers and other exhaust or intake system components.