Structural acoustics is the study of the mechanicalwaves instructures and how they interact with and radiate into adjacent media. The field of structural acoustics is often referred to as vibroacoustics in Europe and Asia.^{[citation needed]} People that work in the field of structural acoustics are known as structural acousticians.^{[citation needed]} The field of structural acoustics can be closely related to a number of other fields ofacoustics includingnoise,transduction,underwater acoustics, andphysical acoustics.

Compressional waves (often referred to aslongitudinal waves) expand and contract in the same direction (or opposite) as the wave motion. The wave equation dictates the motion of the wave in the x direction.

${\displaystyle \frac{{\mathrm{\partial }}^{2}u}{\mathrm{\partial }{x}^2}=\frac{1}{c_L^2}\frac{{\mathrm{\partial }}^{2}u}{\mathrm{\partial }{t}^2}}$

where${\displaystyle u}$ is the displacement and${\displaystyle c_L}$ is the longitudinal wave speed. This has the same form as theacoustic wave equation in one-dimension.${\displaystyle c_L}$ is determined by properties (bulk modulus${\displaystyle B}$ anddensity${\displaystyle \rho }$) of the structure according to

${\displaystyle c_L=\sqrt{\frac{B}{\rho }}}$

When two dimensions of the structure are small with respect towavelength (commonly called a beam), the wave speed is dictated byYoung's modulus${\displaystyle E}$ instead of the${\displaystyle B}$ and are consequently slower than in infinite media.

Shear waves occur due to the shear stiffness and follows a similar equation, but with the displacement occurring in the transverse direction, perpendicular to the wave motion.

${\displaystyle \frac{{\mathrm{\partial }}^{2}w}{\mathrm{\partial }{x}^2}=\frac{1}{c_s^2}\frac{{\mathrm{\partial }}^{2}w}{\mathrm{\partial }{t}^2}}$

The shear wave speed is governed by theshear modulus${\displaystyle G}$ which is less than${\displaystyle E}$ and${\displaystyle B}$, making shear waves slower than longitudinal waves.

Most sound radiation is caused by bending (or flexural) waves, that deform the structure transversely as they propagate. Bending waves are more complicated than compressional or shear waves and depend on material properties as well as geometric properties. They are alsodispersive since different frequencies travel at different speeds.

Finite element analysis can be used to predict the vibration of complex structures. A finite element computer program will assemble the mass, stiffness, and damping matrices based on the element geometries and material properties, and solve for the vibration response based on the loads applied.

${\displaystyle [-{\omega }^2\mathbf{M}+j\omega \mathbf{B}+(1+j\eta )\mathbf{K}]\mathbf{d}=\mathbf{F}}$

When a vibrating structure is in contact with a fluid, the normal particle velocities at the interface must be conserved (i.e. be equivalent). This causes some of the energy from the structure to escape into the fluid, some of which radiates away as sound, some of which stays near the structure and does not radiate away. For most engineering applications, the numerical simulation of fluid-structure interactions involved in vibro-acoustics may be achieved by coupling theFinite element method and theBoundary element method.

• Acoustics
• Acoustic wave equation
• Lamb wave
• Linear elasticity
• Noise control
• Sound
• Surface acoustic wave
• Wave
• Wave equation

• Fahy F., Gardonio P. (2007).Sound Structure Interaction (2nd ed.). Academic Press. pp. 60–61.ISBN 978-3-540-67458-0.

• asa.aip.orgArchived 1996-11-19 at theWayback Machine—Website of theAcoustical Society of America

• Acoustics
• Sound

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