SOUNDINGS
BOOK REVIEWS
P. L. Marston
Physics Department, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164
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Boundary Element Acoustics
Fundamentals and Computer Codes
T. W. Wu, Editor
WIT Press, Billerica, MA, 2001.
256 pp. Price: $149.00 ISBN: 1853125709.
As stated in the preface, this book is intended to be used as a ‘‘tutorial
book on the fundamentals of BEM in acoustics with some simple source
codes.’’ Hence, the book starts with basic aspects of prediction and simula-
tion of acoustics fields by means of the boundary element method 共BEM兲.
But it also leads the reader to more advanced topics such as the indirect
variational boundary element method, time domain analysis, and the bound-
ary element technique for moving sources.
The editor, T. W. Wu, has written four of the nine chapters of the book.
The remaining five chapters are written by other researchers. Hence, some
overlapping could not be avoided, especially when defining basic equations
and boundary conditions in several chapters. However, this has not disturbed
me at all, since a certain degree of repetition makes the text more readable.
A few similar books exist for the same subject. Some of the books
were published nearly 10 years ago, and therefore it seems to be a good time
for publishing a new book about the boundary element method. Surpris-
ingly, the same publisher announces on the back cover a second new book
on Boundary Elements in Acoustics 共edited by O. von Estorff兲, which covers
just the same subject. The reader will judge if both books will supplement
and complete each other in a suitable way.
The book includes a CD-ROM containing the FORTRAN code for 2-D
BEM, 3-D BEM, indirect BEM, eigenvalue BEM, and transient BEM.
The book is organized into nine chapters.
In Chap. 1 共Fundamentals of linear acoustics, by A. F. Seybert兲, a short
introduction is given into the theory of linear acoustics by explaining some
important topics such as the wave equation, velocity potential, acoustics
intensity, etc. This chapter is useful for a reader, who has only little know-
ledge in acoustics and will use the book for learning the first steps in acous-
tics and boundary elements simultaneously. However, some care is needed,
since the time conventions exp(⫹i ␻ t) 关Eq. 共4兲兴 and exp(⫺i ␻ t) 关Eq. 共10兲兴
are mixed up.
In Chap. 2 共The Helmholtz integral equation, by T. W. Wu兲, the fun-
damental solution of the Helmholtz equation and the integral equations for
the interior and the exterior problems are derived in a very clear and com-
prehensible manner. Furthermore, scattering and half-space problems are
treated. The nonuniqueness difficulty at the eigenfrequencies of the ad-
jointed problem is especially well explained. The presentation by T. W. Wu
is successful in concentrating on the main ideas of the theory without using
a big machinery of mathematics which sometimes hides the primary ideas
by a lot of equations. Also, the explanation of the coefficient C( P) is done
with great care. On the other hand, the famous CHIEF method for overcom-
ing the nonuniqueness problem is treated very briefly, so that additional
literature likely has to be used for going deeper into details.
Chapter 3 共Two-dimensional problems兲 and Chap. 4 共Three-
dimensional problems兲 are written by T. W. Wu, too. They focus on the
computational aspects of the boundary element method and show how to
transform the Helmholtz integral equation into a system of linear equations
which can be solved numerically. Both chapters handle the two- and three-
dimensional case in a very similar fashion. First, the discretization proce-
J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 111 (4), April 2002 0001-4966/2002/111(4)/1507/2/$19.00
dure is described by introducing different kinds of elements 共linear, qua-
dratic, and cubic elements兲. Then it is shown how to transform general
elements to a master element and how shape functions for the nodal vari-
ables should be chosen. Second, for the numerical integration, the standard
Gaussian quadrature is recommended. The special treatment of the singular
elements at the diagonal of the matrix is explained very carefully. Finally,
the implementation of the CHIEF method by solving an overdetermined
system by means of least square fitting is given. The accompanying FORTRAN
programs for the 2-D and 3-D BEM are extremely helpful, and the source
code can be found on the CD-ROM included with the book. All subroutines
are carefully described at the ends of both chapters, and files with input and
output data for two examples are provided. I could compile and execute the
programs in a few minutes without any problems for the 2-D case, and I
obtained the output results reported in the book. The compilation of the 3-D
case took some more time due to the presence of two small errors in the
program code. First, one line in the code was longer than 72 characters,
which was easy to find. The second bug was more difficult to discover. An
output file for both prepared examples was generated 共one-dimensional
plane wave in a box and pulsating sphere兲, but surprisingly it did not contain
any of the results promised at the end of Chap. 4. The solution of the riddle
was that an ‘‘END’’ statement was missing at the end of both input data files
共in ‘‘example1.dat’’ and ‘‘example2.dat’’ after the ‘‘SOLVE’’ statement兲.
Having added the ‘‘END,’’ I just got the expected results in the output file.
Chapter 5 is devoted to the normal derivative of the Helmholtz integral
equation. This equation is of high importance for practical applications,
since a suitable combination of the surface Helmholtz integral equation and
its normal derivative is free from critical frequencies. Such an approach is
called the Burton–Miller method, which is often used, especially in the
high-frequency domain, where the CHIEF method mostly fails to give good
results due to many interior nodal surfaces appearing at higher frequencies.
While the Burton–Miller approach is treated very briefly, the so-called
‘‘thin-body difficulty’’ is outlined in greater detail and explained thoroughly.
The example given for the direct mixed formulation is very succinct, and I
missed the FORTRAN code for these advanced methods. However, I am aware
that it is impossible to address all aspects of the BEM in the same great
detail.
In Chap. 6, the indirect variational boundary element method is treated
by N. Vlahoupoulos. Subchapters 1–3 contain a clear description of the
theory of the indirect formulation including its numerical formulation based
on a variational principle. However, I had some problems understanding the
content of subchapter 4 concerning the treatment of irregular frequencies
with the so-called ‘‘simultaneous velocity and unequal impedance boundary
condition’’ and the handling of multiple connections. Furthermore, I could
not recognize the three curves in Fig. 3 共analytical solution, IBEM compu-
tation with and without treatment兲 on p. 103. But here again, it is very useful
that the author has provided the source code of a large FORTRAN program,
and I was able to compile and run the program without problems.
Normally, a dynamical analysis of a structural or an acoustical system
is performed by using the finite element method 共FEM兲. An interesting
alternative for determining the eigenvalues and eigenmodes is the boundary
element method as described in Chap. 7 共Acoustic eigenvalue analysis by
boundary element methods, by E. de Mesquita Neto, E. R. Carvalho, J. R. de
Franca Arruda, and R. Pavanello兲. Starting with the Helmholtz integral
equation, the implicit acoustic eigenvalue problem is derived very clearly.
Then, three strategies for determining the eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes
are described. The direct search method can be easily understood. However,
© 2002 Acoustical Society of America 1507
SOUNDINGS
the description of modal parameter estimation from frequency response
functions is very compact and can only be fully understood if the reader
possesses some background knowledge about the method. If not, the pre-
sentation given on pp. 136 –138 may be somewhat dark and might be
complemented by additional literature. The third strategy, the multiple reci-
procity method, is clearly presented. For me, it was a new and fascinating
idea to consider the Helmholtz equation as a Poisson equation with forcing
term k 2 u on the right-hand side. This procedure allows deriving a formula-
tion for the eigenvalue problem, where the wave number k appears explicitly
in the system of equations. Hence, this method is computationally less ex-
pensive, and it is compared with a FEM calculation for determining the
eigenfrequencies of the interior of a two-dimensional model vehicle. Also, a
2-D FORTRAN code for the multiple reciprocity method is provided. All sub-
routines are very well documented, and it was a pleasure for me to recon-
struct the numerical example described in the book and given in the input
data file.
While in all other chapters of the book the boundary element analysis
is performed in the frequency domain, only Chap. 8 describes the BEM in
the time domain 共Time domain three-dimensional analysis, by F. C. de
Araújo, W. J. Mansur, and J. A. Carrer兲. Thus, it seems to be justified that it
is the longest chapter with nearly 60 pages and covers approximately a
quarter of the complete book. The time-dependent integral representation
and the Kirchhoff integral representation for the scalar wave equation are
derived by using a reciprocal relationship and the fundamental solution in
the time domain. This presentation is mathematically very elegant, and it is
clearly and comprehensibly formulated. Furthermore, all topics of the pro-
cess of numerical implementation are precisely described. One of the most
important issues, how to implement the method, seems to be the time-
marching process. However, I had difficulties understanding this algorithm
fully by going through the equations. Perhaps, it is needed to perform some
numerical experiments with the programs included to get a ‘‘feeling’’ for
time-based algorithms, if one is more familiar with the frequency domain.
For this reason, the attached FORTRAN programs will be surely a great help,
if the reader likes to understand the numerical implementation and corre-
sponding algorithms more deeply. Curiously enough, the FORTRAN code on
the CD-ROM is delivered as a Word-document 共Prog1.doc兲, and both input
files 共Appl_2.dat, K1.dat兲 are not documented in the book—perhaps I have
overlooked such explanations 共?兲.
The book ends with Chap. 9, where an important extension of the
Helmholtz integral equation is described 共Extended Kirchhoff integral for-
mulations, by S. F. Wu兲. The extension is done for calculating acoustic
radiation from a vibrating structure in motion. Such an extension is very
important from a practical point of view, since the simulation of traffic noise
with moving sources is often needed. The derivation of the extended formu-
1508 J. Acoust. Soc. Am., Vol. 111, No. 4, April 2002
lation is likely not easy to read for someone who is not well acquainted with
the underlying theory of flow acoustics, since it is a very advanced subject.
In addition, the presentation is very condensed, because the theory given in
subchapters 2 and 3 is a short version of an earlier paper of X.-F. Wu and A.
Akay 共published in JASA 1992: ‘‘Sound radiation from vibrating bodies in
motion,’’ JASA 91, 2544 –2555兲. Also, the nonuniqueness at critical fre-
quencies is discussed. Two examples without flow and one example with
flow are considered where critical frequencies appear. No formal proof of
the existence of critical frequencies for the extended integral equation is
given, but the examples of dilating and oscillating spheres in motion show
the shifting effect of the flow 共or the corresponding movement兲 on the criti-
cal frequencies in an impressive manner. The last subchapter is devoted to
the practically important simulation of vehicle pass-by noise radiation. The
sound radiation from a simplified vehicle at different Mach numbers is stud-
ied. This is a very interesting example, and it is a pity that no program code
is included for providing an easier entrance to the numerical modeling of
sound radiation from moving structures.
In summary, the book gives an excellent introduction and a good over-
view over the boundary element method in acoustics. Also, advanced topics
of the method are treated, and the enclosed boundary element codes are
particularly valuable.
One possible improvement of the layout of the book would be the
following: On the top of every page, only the same general title is given.
This makes the orientation for the reader difficult, especially if one would
like to jump from a certain chapter to another. Hence, for the convenience of
the reader, it would be useful to write, for example, the title of the current
chapter into the header line on the left and the title of the corresponding
subchapter into the header line on the right.
At present, I am responsible for a project, which has the aim to de-
velop a special boundary element code for the purpose of improved noise
protection. For the beginning and as a first step, I have recommended my
students read the book and look at the FORTRAN code to gain a better under-
standing of the boundary element method. For this reason, it is very helpful
to have the source code itself and not only executable programs. However,
this suggestion is not limited to novices in the sector of the boundary ele-
ment method. I highly recommend the book for all acousticians interested in
theory, numerical implementation, and applications of the boundary element
method in acoustics.
MARTIN OCHMANN
TFH Berlin—University of Applied Sciences
Faculty of Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry
Luxenburger Strasse 10 D-13353 Berlin, Germany
Book Reviews