Absorption performance of nonplanar periodic structures solved by layered rigorous coupled-wave analysis

Porous materials with corrugated surfaces are widely used in the field of noise control, as they can effectively convert sound energy into heat resulting in sound absorption. It is important to predict the absorption coefficients of sound-absorbing devices for the design of appropriate shape and size. In this study, a semi-analytic method of layered rigorous coupled-wave analysis (LRCWA) is proposed to predict the absorption of nonplanar periodic materials. Starting from the division of corrugated surfaces into multiple layers, we process the sound behavior in each layer as in a rectangular periodic modulation structure. By connecting the interlayer boundary continuity conditions, the acoustic coupling equation of the whole structure can be established. The effectiveness and practicability of the LRCWA method is validated based on the comparisons with the experimental data and the simulation of finite element method. Besides the absorption coefficient that is mainly discussed in this work, the proposed method is universal in analyzing the physical properties of nonplanar periodic structures, which can greatly accelerate the delicate design and optimization of such structures.