Analytical and numerical approaches to predict radiated sound power of fluid-loaded cylindrical shells

ABSTRCT Prediction of the vibro-acoustic responses of fluid-loaded cylindrical shells is important for underwater vehicles. In this work, a number of analytical and numerical approaches to predict the radiated sound power of a fluid-loaded cylindrical shell are compared. In the first approach, an analytical methodology is used whereby the equations of motion for the cylindrical shell are solved by the method of modal superposition. The shell displacements are represented by a Fourier series and auxiliary functions. The radiation sound power is calculated by integrating the product of the pressure and velocity on the surface of the cylinder. In the second approach, an integrated analytical and numerical approach is implemented whereby the vibrational response of the cylindrical shell is used as an input to a boundary element model. The radiated sound power is subsequently obtained using the boundary element method. In the final approach, a fully-coupled finite element/boundary element model of the fluid-loaded cylinder is developed. Results for the radiated sound power from the various analytical, hybrid analytical/numerical and fully coupled numerical approaches are compared.