Prediction of noise inside an acoustic cavity of elongated shape using statistical energy analyses with spatial decay consideration

In this paper, Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) is used to predict the interior noise of an acoustic cavity of elongated shape. The disadvantage of the conventional SEA method, which quantifies the response in terms of the energy averaged over each subsystem, is overcome by introducing a one-dimensional spatial decay relation, through which information about the acoustic energy variation in the elongated direction is taken into account. The modified SEA is experimentally validated using a 1:5 scaled space station prototype, having the longitudinal dimension much larger than the cross-sectional dimension. It is also compared with a model reported in the literature. It is shown that, in the region where the acoustic pressure level decays at a constant rate, the two models agree well with each other and are capable of estimating the acoustic pressure variation along the space station cabin. However, near the end walls where the decay rate of the acoustic pressure level is not constant, the proposed model provides better accuracy.