An interval algorithm for sensitivity analysis of coupled vibro-acoustic systems

Sensitivity analysis is a vital part in the optimization design of coupled vibro-acoustic systems. A new interval sensitivity-analysis method for vibro-acoustic systems is proposed in this paper. This method relies on only interval perturbation analysis instead of partial derivatives and difference operations. For strongly nonlinear systems, in particular, this methodology requires parameter variation over narrower ranges in comparison with other methods. To implement sensitivity analysis based on this method, the interval ranges of the responses of the vibro-acoustic system with interval parameters should first be obtained. Therefore, an interval perturbation-analysis method is presented for obtaining the interval bounds of the sound-pressure responses of a coupled vibro-acoustic system with interval parameters. The interval perturbation method is then compared with the Monte Carlo method, which can be taken as the benchmark for comparative accuracy. Two numerical examples involving sensitivity analysis of vibro-acoustic systems illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed interval-based method.