In this paper, the authors study the 3D propagation of sound waves between two closed spaces. The separation element between the two rooms is considered to include either a small opening or a homogeneous lightweight panel, coupling the two spaces. A numerical study of this configuration is performed, trying to understand the influence of the position and geometry of this opening in the sound pressure level reduction curve at low and midfrequencies. Additionally, the coupling effect between the two acoustic spaces is analyzed, in order to better understand its importance when determining the sound pressure level reduction. Different boundary conditions are ascribed to the walls of these rooms, simulating both the completely reflecting and partially absorbing surfaces.

The numerical modelling was performed using a multi-domain formulation of the Method of Fundamental Solutions (MFS). The system is composed of two coupled rooms, limited by rigid or by absorbing walls, and separated by a thin wall (tending to null thickness) with a small opening. An experimental validation of the proposed model is presented, comparing its results with those found experimentally for a reduced-scale model. It is important to note that, for such a configuration, a traditional single-domain approach using methods like the MFS or the BEM would lead to undetermined equation systems, and thus the proposed model makes use of a domain decomposition technique.

Research on acoustical hoods used in industry has been widely discussed; however, the assessment of shape optimization on space-constrained close-fitting acoustic hoods by adjusting design parameters has been neglected. Moreover, the acoustical performance for a one-layer acoustic hood used in a high intensity environment seems to be insufficient. Therefore, an assessment of an optimally shaped acoustical hood with two layers will be proposed. In this paper, a numerical case for depressing the noise level of a piece of equipment by optimally designing a shaped two-layer close-fitting acoustic hood under a constrained space will be introduced. Furthermore, to optimally search for a better designed set for the multi-layer acoustical hood, an artificial immune method (AIM) has been adopted as well. Consequently, this paper provides a quick and effective method to reduce equipment noise by optimally designing a shaped multi-layer close-fitting acoustic hood via the AIM searching technique.