Thermo-poroacoustic acceleration waves in elastic materials with voids

A model for coupled elasto-acoustic waves, thermal waves, and waves associated with the voids, in a porous medium is investigated. Due to the use of lighter materials in modern buildings and noise concerns in the environment such models for thermo-poroacoustic waves are of much interest to the building industry. Analysis of such waves is also of interest in acoustic microscopy where the identification of material defects is of paramount importance to industry and medicine. We present a model for acoustic wave propagation in a porous material which also allows for propagation of a thermal wave. The thermodynamics is based on an entropy inequality of A.E. Green, F.R.S. and N. Laws and is presented for a modification of the theory of elastic materials with voids due to J.W. Nunziato and S.C. Cowin. A fully nonlinear acceleration wave analysis is initiated. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.