Computation of the Alpha Cabin Sound Absorption Coefficient by Using the Finite Transfer Matrix Method (FTMM): Inter-Laboratory Test on Porous Media

The transfer matrix method (TMM) has become an established and widely used approach to compute the sound absorption coefficient of a multilayer structure. Due to the assumption made by this method of laterally infinite media, it is necessary to introduce in the computation the finite-size radiation impedance of the investigated system, in order to obtain an accurate prediction of the sound absorption coefficient within the entire frequency range of interest; this is generally referred to as finite transfer matrix method (FTMM). However, it has not been extensively investigated the possibility of using the FTMM to accurately approximate the sound absorption of flat porous samples experimentally determined in an Alpha Cabin, a small reverberation room employed in the automotive industry. To this purpose, a simulation-based round robin test was organized involving academic and private research groups. Four different systems constituted by five porous materials, whose properties were experimentally characterized, were considered. Each participant, provided with all the mechanical and physical properties of each medium, was requested to simulate the sound absorption coefficient with an arbitrary chosen code, based on the FTMM. The results indicated a good accuracy of the different formulations to determine the finite-size radiation impedance. However, its implementation in the computation of the sound absorption coefficient as well as the upper limit of the range of incidence angles within which the acoustic field is simulated, and the model adopted to describe each material, significantly influenced the results.