Simulating the response to a sonic boom

Abstract

Sonic booms can cause considerable annoyance and damage. Studying the response of a room with an open win dow can be useful in design and acoustic treatment. In most cases, a one-dimensional lumped parameter model can be used for the acoustics of the room-window system. A linear, energy-equivalent damping model is adequate for shock response calculations at off-resonance conditions. A shock response spectrum showing the maximum response as a function of shock duration is a convenient way to present results for design purposes. Output from a CSMP program suggests that a little damping is usually sufficient when the natural period of the room and window is well above the duration of the sonic boom; heavy damping is necessary when this is not true.