Intensity Potential Approach for Modeling High-Frequency Sound Fields

Journal article, 2011

This paper proposes the intensity potential approach for prediction of high-frequency sound power radiation. The approach is based on the Helmholtz decomposition of the vector field of time-averaged sound intensity into its irrotational and rotational components. The local power balance in a lossless medium is expressed in terms of the irrotational component only, and results in the Poisson equation for a scalar intensity potential of this component only. The approach gives an exact expression for the sound power through any closed surface in terms of the irrotational component, provided that the boundary conditions are correct. The approach is evaluated by exploring the two intensity components in three canonical examples, and by comparison to measured data with special focus on directivity aspects. It is concluded that the intensity potential approach is relevant, in particular for high-frequency sound fields from multiple sources that are uncorrelated and broadbanded. However, the intensity is generally overestimated in the shadow zones and underestimated in the directly exposed regions. Further, peaks in narrow frequency bands associated with interference of waves are ignored.