Numerical analysis of sound propagation in rooms using the finite difference time domain method

Impulse response is an important quantity for room acoustics. To predict the impulse response, several types of calculation methods based on wave theory, such as the boundary element method (BEM), finite element method (FEM) and finite difference method (FDM), are being investigated. Among them, the authors are exploring application of the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method to calculate room sound fields. Using the method, by which the acoustical quantities at discrete grid points of a closed field are successively solved step‐by‐step according to vector operations, the impulse responses can be obtained directly in a time domain using little computer memory storage. Furthermore, changes of spatial distributions of room sound fields in time can be obtained easily by storing the sound pressure at grid points and displaying them by animation. In this presentation, several examples of the FDTD analyses of room impulse responses are reported and computer animation of their room sound fields is introduced. In addition, examination of the applicability of prediction of the impulse responses by comparison with in situ measurement of a small hall is discussed.