Acoustic energy density distribution and sound intensity vector field inside coupled spaces

In this paper, the modal expansion method supported by a computer implementation has been used to predict steady-state distributions of the potential and kinetic energy densities, and the active and reactive sound intensities inside two coupled enclosures. The numerical study was dedicated to low-frequency room responses. Calculation results have shown that the distribution of energetic quantities in coupled spaces is strongly influenced by the modal localization. Appropriate descriptors of the localization effect were introduced to identify localized modes. As was evidenced by numerical data, the characteristic objects in the active intensity field are vortices positioned irregularly inside the room. It was found that vortex centers lie exactly on the lines corresponding to zeros of the eigenfunction for a dominant mode. Finally, an impact of the wall impedance on the quantitative relationship between the active and reactive intensities was analyzed and it was concluded that for very small sound damping the behavior of the sound intensity inside the room space is essentially only oscillatory.