The Acoustic-Shell Interaction, Frequency Domain Interface
The Acoustic-Shell Interaction, Frequency Domain multiphysics interface (), found under the Acoustics>Acoustic-Structure Interaction branch () when adding a physics interface, combines features from the Pressure Acoustics, Frequency Domain and Shell interfaces to connect the acoustics pressure variations in the fluid domain with the structural deformation of a shell boundary. It may for example be used for determining the transmission of sound through a thin elastic structure such as a car hood and analyzing the vibroacoustics of a loudspeaker cone.
Acoustic-structure interaction or ASI refers to a multiphysics phenomenon where the acoustic pressure causes a fluid load on the solid surface, and the structural acceleration acts on the fluid domain as a normal acceleration across the fluid-structure boundary.
Special physics interface conditions are readily defined at the fluid-shell boundary and set up the fluid loads on the shell boundary and the effect of the structural accelerations on the fluid. The physics interface is available for 3D and 2D axisymmetric geometries, and it is capable of modeling the coupled pressure acoustics and shell vibrations in the frequency domain.
When a predefined Acoustic-Shell Interaction, Frequency Domain interface is added from the Acoustics>Acoustic-Structure Interaction branch of the Model Wizard or the Add Physics windows, the Pressure Acoustics, Frequency Domain and Shell interfaces are added to the Model Builder.
In addition, the Multiphysics Couplings node is added, which automatically includes the multiphysics coupling Acoustic-Structure Boundary.
Settings for Physics Interfaces and Multiphysics Couplings
When a predefined multiphysics interface is used, for example Acoustic-Shell Interaction, Frequency Domain, the Selection on the multiphysics coupling is automatically set to All boundaries. In this way, the multiphysics coupling is automatically active on all Shell boundaries with Pressure Acoustics, Frequency Domain on one side or both sides.
However, if physics interfaces are added one at a time, followed by the multiphysics couplings, these modified settings are not automatically included.
For example, if single Shell and Pressure Acoustics, Frequency Domain interfaces are added, COMSOL Multiphysics adds an empty Multiphysics Couplings node. You can choose the available multiphysics couplings, but you need manually to select on which boundaries they need to be applied, or select All boundaries to recover the predefined behavior.
Multiphysics couplings are available from the context menu (right-click the Multiphysics Couplings node) or from the Physics toolbar, Multiphysics menu.
Physics Interfaces and Multiphysics Couplings
Multiphysics Coupling
The Acoustic-Structure Boundary multiphysics coupling is described in the Multiphysics Couplings chapter.
Physics Interface Features
Physics nodes are available from the Physics ribbon toolbar (Windows users), Physics context menu (Mac or Linux users), or right-click to access the context menu (all users).
In general, to add a node, go to the Physics toolbar, no matter what operating system you are using. Subnodes are available by clicking the parent node and selecting it from the Attributes menu.
Theory for the Shell and Plate Interfaces in the Structural Mechanics Module User’s Guide