Numerical investigation of acoustic field in enclosures: Evaluation of active and reactive components of sound intensity

The paper focuses on a theoretical description and numerical evaluation of active and reactive components of sound intensity in enclosed spaces. As the study was dedicated to low-frequency room responses, a modal expansion of the sound pressure was used. Numerical simulations have shown that the presence of energy vortices whose size and distribution depend on the character of the room response is a distinctive feature of the active intensity field. When several modes with frequencies close to a source frequency are excited, the vortices within the room are positioned irregularly. However, if the response is determined by one or two dominant modes, a regular distribution of vortices in the room can be observed. The irrotational component of the active intensity was found using the Helmholtz decomposition theorem. As was evidenced by numerical simulations, the suppression of the vortical flow of sound energy in the nearfield permits obtaining a clear image of the sound source.