WaveCloud : an open source room acoustics simulator using the finite difference time domain method

Sheaffer, J; Fazenda, BM

Abstract

Among the various wave-based simulation methods, the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method provides a good trade-off between applicability, accuracy and computational efficiency. With the growing availability of computing power and recent advances in parallel architectures, FDTD has become a feasible choice for room acoustics simulation. Operating in the discrete time domain, it is advantageous for obtaining wideband solutions within a single simulation, and is also able to tackle problems involving transient behavior and time variability, for example with moving sources, moving receivers and a moving medium. This paper portrays the WaveCloud Project, an open-source modeling framework designed with room acoustics simulation in mind. Practical concerns such as computation time, handling arbitrary room geometries, and modeling directional sources and receivers are addressed and their current implementations in WaveCloud are discussed. Consideration is also given to three-dimensional sound field visualization as well as auralization strategies. Future work and remaining challenges, which now form part of the collaborative open source Wave Cloud project, are also described.

Citation

Sheaffer, J., & Fazenda, B. WaveCloud : an open source room acoustics simulator using the finite difference time domain method. Presented at Forum Acusticum 2014, Krakow, Poland

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: Forum Acusticum 2014
• Conference Location: Krakow, Poland
• End Date: Sep 12, 2014
• Publication Date: Sep 12, 2014
• Deposit Date: Sep 16, 2014
• Publisher URL: http://www.acta-acustica-united-with-acustica.com/european-acoustics-association-eaa.html
• Related Public URLs: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/264540742_WaveCloud_an_Open_Source_Room_Acoustics_Simulator_using_the_Finite_Difference_Time_Domain_Method; http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bruno_Fazenda
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference