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A hybrid approach to the computational aeroacoustics of human voice production

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Abstract

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 convergent 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 correlation 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.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Czech Science Foundation, Project P101/11/0207 and by the Austrian Science Fund under Grant I 532-N20. The support of the Czech and Austrian agencies for international cooperation and mobility within ICM OeAD – MŠMT (Project CZ 09/2013–7AMB13AT006), which facilitates the effective cooperation of the authors, is also gratefully acknowledged. The CFD simulations were run at the facilities of the Supercomputer Center of the CTU in Prague, Czech Republic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 2, 461 17, Liberec, Czech Republic

    P. Šidlof

  2. Institute of Thermomechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejškova 5, 182 00, Prague 8, Czech Republic

    P. Šidlof

  3. Institute of Mechanics and Mechatronics, Vienna University of Technology, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060, Wien, Austria

    S. Zörner & A. Hüppe

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  1. P. Šidlof
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Correspondence to P. Šidlof.

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Šidlof, P., Zörner, S. & Hüppe, A. A hybrid approach to the computational aeroacoustics of human voice production. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 14, 473–488 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-014-0617-1

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