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P. Sidlof, S. Zörner, A. Hüppe:
"A hybrid approach to the computational aeroacoustics of human voice production";
Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, 14 (2014), 3; 473 - 488.

The aeroacoustic mechanisms in human voice
production are complex coupled processes that are still not
fully understood. In this article, a hybrid numerical approach
to analyzing sound generation in human voice production
is presented. First, the fluid flow problem is solved using a
parallel finite-volume computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
solver on a fine computational mesh covering the larynx. The
CFD simulations are run for four geometrical configurations:
both with and without false vocal folds, and with fixed con-
vergent or convergent-divergent motion of the medial vocal
fold surface. Then the aeroacoustic sources and propagation
of sound waves are calculated using Lighthill´s analogy or
acoustic perturbation equations on a coarse mesh covering
the larynx, vocal tract, and radiation region near the mouth.
Aeroacoustic sound sources are investigated in the time and
frequency domains to determine their precise origin and cor-
relation with the flow field. The problem of acoustic wave
propagation from the larynx and vocal tract into the free
field is solved using the finite-element method. Two different
vocal-tract shapes are considered and modeled according to
MRI vocal-tract data of the vowels /i/ and /u/. The spectra
of the radiated sound evaluated from acoustic simulations
show good agreement with formant frequencies known from
human subjects.

Computational aeroacoustics, Parallel CFD, Human voice, Biomechanics, Vocal folds, Ventricular folds

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10237-014-0617-1

Project Head Manfred Kaltenbacher:
Numerische Simulation der Strömungs-Struktur-Akustik Wechselwirkung in 2D und strömungsinduzierter Schall in 3D