Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
One-dimensional transport equation models for sound energy propagation in long spaces: simulations and experiments
1Graduate Program in Architectural Acoustics, School of Architecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA. jingy@bwh.harvard.edu
Abstract:
In this paper, the accuracy and efficiency of the previously discussed one-dimensional transport equation models [Y. Jing et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 2312-2322 (2010)] are examined both numerically and experimentally. The finite element method is employed to solve the equations. Artificial diffusion is applied in the numerical implementation to suppress oscillations of the solution. The transport equation models are then compared with the ray-tracing based method for different scenarios. In general, they are in good agreement, and the transport equation models are substantially less time consuming. In addition, the two-group model is found to yield more accurate results than the one-group model for the tested cases. Lastly, acoustic experimental results obtained from a 1:10 long room scale-model are used to verify the transport equation models. The results suggest that the transport equation models are able to accurately model the sound field in a long space.
Related Concept Videos
Sound Waves
Sound waves are longitudinal in most fluids because fluids cannot sustain any lateral pressure. In solids, however, shear forces help in propagating the disturbance in the lateral direction as well. Hence,...
Deriving the Speed of Sound in a Liquid
The speed of sound in fluids can be derived by considering a mechanical wave propagating...
Speed of Sound in Solids and Liquids
Sound as Pressure Waves
The pressure fluctuation depends on the difference in displacements between the successive points in the...
Echo
Imagine the sound is reflected back to the ears. Assuming that the source is very close to the human, the difference between hearing the two sounds—the emitted sound and the reflected sound—may be more than the minimum time for perceiving distinct sounds. If this is the case, then the...
Travelling Waves
Water waves, sound waves, and seismic waves are some examples of mechanical waves. For water waves, the wave propagation medium is water;...
