Room Acoustic Simulations using High-Order Spectral Element Methods

A wave-based numerical scheme for simulating room acoustics, based on the spectral element method, is presented. This method possesses qualities, such as high-order accuracy and geometrical flexibility, which make it very suitable for accurate and cost-effective room acoustic simulations of complex geometries of any size and shape. Various numerical experiments are carried out in order to analyze the accuracy and efficiency of the scheme. The results demonstrate how using high-order elements is essential for capturing wave dispersion and thereby allowing for the usage of coarser spatial discretizations, which can reduce computation time significantly. Furthermore, the methods ability to accurately represent curved boundaries, by means of curvilinear mesh elements, is demonstrated. The investigation is relevant for understanding how to improve the accuracy of room acoustics simulations in real geometries and serves as a stepping stone towards developing a relatively fast and flexible wave-based room acoustic simulator.