Research on the characterization and optimization of the acoustic environment in command posts based on metamaterials and particle swarm algorithm

Jiaojiao Zhang
Field Engineering College, Army Engineering University of PLA, Nanjing 210007, China
TengYue Pan
Field Engineering College, Army Engineering University of PLA, Nanjing 210007, China
Fei Yang
Field Engineering College, Army Engineering University of PLA, Nanjing 210007, China
Wenqiang Peng
College of Aerospace Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China
Xinmin Shen
Field Engineering College, Army Engineering University of PLA, Nanjing 210007, China
Xiaonan Zhang
Field Engineering College, Army Engineering University of PLA, Nanjing 210007, China

Article ID: 4701

Keywords: sound environment characterization; command posts; acoustic metamaterials; particle swarm algorithm; noise control

Abstract

We investigated the acoustic environment of a military command post, focusing on two conflicting needs: protecting speech privacy while maintaining clear internal communication. A finite element model of a 248.17 m³ command post was built, combining geometric acoustics with ray tracing. To reduce diesel generator noise, we introduced parallel unequal-cavity acoustic metamaterials on both the source and the walls. Field measurements showed that enclosing the generator reduced its average sound pressure level from 90.4 dB to 73.8 dB. In simulations, applying the metamaterials to the walls shortened the reverberation time T60 from 0.81 s–2.13 s down to 0.4 s–1.6 s—but the improvement varied strongly with frequency. The largest drop occurred at 500 Hz (1.6 s to 0.4 s), with smaller reductions at 250 Hz and 1,000 Hz, and almost no change at 125 Hz or 8,000 Hz. Broadband speech transmission index (STI) improved from 0.44–0.69 to 0.52–0.95, averaging above 0.65. We then used particle swarm optimization to find the best source position within the already-optimized room. After 50 iterations, the 500 Hz equivalent per-band STI contributions exceeded 0.84 across most receivers and reached above 0.99 at several locations; other bands (250 Hz–4,000 Hz) stayed between 0.60 and 0.75. Overall, combining acoustic metamaterials with intelligent source placement appears to significantly improve the command post acoustic environment—a finding that may inform noise control strategies for similar military facilities.

Published

2026-08-28

How to Cite

Zhang, J., Pan, T., Yang, F., Peng, W., Shen, X., & Zhang, X. (2026). Research on the characterization and optimization of the acoustic environment in command posts based on metamaterials and particle swarm algorithm. Sound & Vibration, 60(6). https://doi.org/10.59400/sv4701

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Vol. 60 No. 6 (2026): In Progress

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Article

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Research on the characterization and optimization of the acoustic environment in command posts based on metamaterials and particle swarm algorithm

Abstract

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