A multi-source/receiver simulation computer program for studying acoustic fields

Abstract

In this paper we present some results of an interactive source/receiver computer program written for a personal computer. The program has been used to simulate simple acoustical environments and to study limitations of the sound intensity method. The program is also useful for showing students how source position, strength, and phase angle determine the acoustic field in a multi-source environment. The user can select interactively the characteristics of the sources, including sources on lines and sources on surfaces such as planes and spheres. Receivers may be selected individually by specifying their Cartesian coordinates; receivers may also be generated automatically to lie on certain simple surfaces such as planes, spheres or rectangular paralle-lopipeds. A pair of such receiver surfaces, separated by a fixed distance, can be generated automatically to study the sound intensity method. Examples of the above described features will be presented.