SoundSim360 is a high-fidelity acoustic simulation tool developed by RHOWS, based on more than 25 years of research in advanced numerical methods for wave-dominated partial differential equations.
Unlike traditional noise modeling software that relies on simplified ray-tracing or parabolic equation (PE) methods, SoundSim360 uses state-of-the-art physics-based algorithms (SBP–SAT finite difference methods) combined with GPU acceleration to deliver both accuracy and speed.
🔹 What it does
Predicts sound propagation over long distances, where low-frequency noise dominates.
Handles complex 3D environments including cities, buildings, and natural terrains.
Simulates transmission and reflection of sound against facades, terrain, and ground surfaces.
Models indoor sound propagation, including frequency-dependent transmission through walls and ceilings.
Incorporates realistic physics: atmospheric effects (wind, temperature, humidity), diffraction, scattering, and interference.
🔹 Applications
Urban planning: generating reliable noise maps for traffic, railways, air traffic, and construction.
Environmental protection: ensuring quiet zones in parks and recreation areas.
Wind farm noise: accurate low-frequency and infrasound propagation predictions.
Building acoustics: studying how sound penetrates and propagates indoors.
Marine/industrial noise: propagation in specialized environments.
🔹 Why it’s different
Accurate at low frequencies (<200 Hz), where existing models fail.
Robust for irregular terrain and complex geometries.
Can handle broadband and transient sources.
Validated against measurements in real environments.
✅ In short: SoundSim360 is a next-generation, GPU-accelerated acoustic simulation platform that delivers accurate, physics-based predictions of sound propagation in realistic 3D environments.
Learn more about SoundSim360 and infrasound in this 2024 presentation by Professor Ken Mattsson (in swedish).
Ken Mattsson, Gustav Eriksson, Leif Persson, José Chilo, & Kourosh Tatar (2026). Efficient finite difference modeling of infrasound propagation in realistic 3D domains: Validation with wind turbine measurements. Applied Acoustics, 243, 111156. https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0003-682X(25)00628-0
Gustav Eriksson, & Vidar Stiernström (2024). Acoustic shape optimization using energy stable curvilinear finite differences. Journal of Computational Physics, 517, 113347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2024.113347
Martin Almquist, Ilkka Karasalo, & Ken Mattsson (2014). Atmospheric Sound Propagation Over Large-Scale Irregular Terrain. Journal of Scientific Computing, 61(2), 369-397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10915-014-9830-4
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