Discontinuous isogeometric boundary element (IGABEM) formulations in 3D automotive acoustics

The isogeometric boundary element method (IGABEM) is a technique that employs non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) as basis functions to discretise the solution variables as well as the problem geometry in a boundary element formulation. IGABEM has shown improved convergence properties over the conventional boundary element method (BEM) algorithms. However, in acoustics, IGABEM has only been applied to problems with simple smooth boundary conditions. In most real-world engineering design and analysis acoustic problems, geometric corners and discontinuities in boundary conditions can give rise to more complexity in the solution field that may be more efficiently modelled using a discontinuous approach.