Boundary element models of horn loaded loudspeakers

Abstract

Horn loaded loudspeakers are a type of loudspeaker used to efficiently radiate sound in a directional manner. Traditional horn theory takes a lumped parameter approach and these models are found to be inadequate at mid to high frequencies, as well as only being able to predict the sound pressure on axis. No directional information is provided with these models, and alternative approaches such as finite or boundary element methods are sought to overcome these limitations. This paper compares results obtained using two alternative boundary element based techniques, a traditional direct boundary element method and a new source superposition technique. Two representative horn loaded loudspeakers are modelled, and the results are compared to experiment.