Simulating noise and vibrations on passenger ships using Statistical Energy Analysis

Various sources aboard a passenger ship contribute significantly to noise and vibration concerns. Notably, fluctuating pressure loads on the hull can result in elevated noise levels within rooms near the propulsion. Expensive solutions of sound insulation such as floating floors are employed to reduce these levels. Nowadays, designing these treatments is mainly based on empirical studies. However, the limited availability of the ship, the laborious nature of experiments, and the possibility of solutions being oversized have only increased the method's constraints. Utilizing calculation methods can save time, reduce additional weight on the ship, and provide more tailored design solutions. A Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) has been used as deterministic approaches are often not suitable for the frequency range of interest for full-scale structures. The validation process for the wave-based SEA method involves several steps. Initially, simple models are constructed to establish correlations between local airborne and structure-borne energy transmission using simple acoustic loads, as well as to assess the method's scope of application. Subsequently, this approach is applied to larger models, such as the aft full part of the ship, enabling the prediction of noise levels and energy transmission paths under real loads.