Coupling the BEM/TBEM and the MFS for the numerical simulation of acoustic wave propagation

The coupling of the boundary element method (BEM)/the traction boundary element method (TBEM) and the method of fundamental solutions (MFS) is proposed for the transient analysis of acoustic wave propagation problems in the presence of multi-inclusions to overcome the limitations posed by each method. The full domain is divided into sub-domains which are modeled using the BEM/TBEM and the MFS, and the sub-domains are coupled with the imposition of the required boundary conditions. The accuracy of the proposed algorithms, using different combinations of BEM/TBEM and MFS, is verified by comparing the solutions against reference solutions. The applicability of the proposed method is shown by simulating the acoustic behavior of a rigid acoustic screen in the vicinity of a dome and by computing the acoustic attenuation provided by a fluid-filled thin inclusion separating two railway tracks in an underground train station.