Effectiveness and robustness of improved infinite elements for exterior acoustics

S The practical usability of a recently developed, improved infinite element is assessed. This improved formulation is based on the so-called Astley-Leis elements, and especially suitable for the use in conjunction with iterative solvers. Up to now, an extensive numerical study of the robustness and performance of iterative solvers, employed in exterior acoustics simulations with infinite elements, is missing. This contribution summarizes the results of numerous simulations of practical relevance, performed with the improved formulation, and a standard alternative formulation. The results show that the improved infinite elements perform better than the conventional formulation in nearly all simulations. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.