Non-resonant response using statistical energy analysis

When excited acoustically, the response of a panel consists of resonant and non-resonant waves. The non-resonant response is negligible for limp panel s. However, it can become significant in the case of thin light structural panels. SEA modelling does not predict the non-resonant response of the str ucture. This paper discusses the above limitation of SEA and presents a mod ified SEA formulation by which the non-resonant response can also be estima ted. The resonant and the non-resonant contributions to the response are as sumed to be arising out of two separate subsystems. In the present formulat ion, modelling for non-resonant response is similar to the conventional SEA modelling for resonant response but uses different expressions for the cou pling loss factors. The classical problem of two reverberant rooms separate d by a panel is considered as an example. It is shown that by using this pr ocedure the non-resonant response of the structure can be estimated. Also, the non-resonant sound transmission is obtained exactly. Results of a numer ical example are presented to compare the conventional and the modified SEA modelling results. (C) 2001 Academic Press.