Angle-dependent sound absorption estimation using a compact microphone array

This paper proposes a method for estimating the angle-dependent sound absorption coefficient of a large material sample using a compact microphone array. The method relies on the description of the pressure field as a pair of in-going and out-going waves or using an image source model and stands as a generalization of the classical two-microphone method. The array includes an irregular spacing normal to the surface to avoid spatial aliasing. Furthermore, the benefit of additional microphones parallel to the sample is investigated, while keeping the array compact. The approach is validated against the transfer matrix method as well as against locally and non-locally reactive surface models and compared to the two-microphone method. The sensitivity of the estimation to uncertainties in the microphone positions is evaluated by means of a Monte Carlo approach. Measurements above melamine foam and gravel samples are presented and illustrate the reduced uncertainty in the sound absorption estimation. In particular, the proposed method exhibits improved robustness compared to the two-microphone method, especially at low frequencies.