Finite element method and dynamical energy analysis in vibro-acoustics - A comparative study

Future aircraft concepts utilizing innovative lightweight structures and novel propulsion concepts are a necessity for long term sustainable air travel. These concepts pose new challenges for the vibro-acoustic assessment of cabin structures and the associated noise impact on passengers. Finite Element (FE) models derived from aircraft pre-design data are not optimized for use in acoustic analyses, i.e. the mesh is too coarse to provide meaningful results while setting up Statistical Energy Analysis models for this specific purpose is adding another time-consuming step. A possible alternative, Discrete Energy Analysis (DEA), is evaluated. This method allows to calculate the acoustic behavior of thin-walled structures in higher frequency ranges simply using existing FE meshes. In this paper an experimental lightweight aluminum structure and its respective FE model is investigated for a frequency range up to 5000 Hz. A comparison in terms of vibrational energy between DEA, FE and measurement results are presented. Finally, a lower-bound frequency range is identified in which DEA and FEM correlate and thus allow a substitution for further simulations at higher frequencies.