The boundary element method (BEM) is a numerical technique for solving the Kirchhoff
– Helmholtz integral equation. Exploiting the Sommerfeld radiation condition, the
approach is well-suited for predicting the sound emission of complex sources in unbounded
domains. Uniform motion can be incorporated into the formulation, leading to the so-called
convected BEM. This contribution discusses the application of the latter technique
for the simulation of noise emission by moving sound sources in practically relevant
scenarios. After introducing the basic properties of the formulation, challenges of
its application are addressed. Approaches to deal with fictitious eigenfrequencies,
half-space problems, and transient sound radiation are presented. The multi-level
fast multipole method for solving large-scale problems is implemented and applied.
An industrially relevant case study of noise radiation by a vibrating train wheel
is demonstrated.
