A cross-scale, element-based model incorporating vibration-acoustic coupling for predicting sound absorption in woven fabrics.

This study presents a cross-scale, element-based framework for predicting sound absorption in single-layer orthogonal woven fabrics. Each weave repeat is represented as a spatial arrangement of four fundamental structural element types through a top-down procedure. The element geometries are mapped to the five transport parameters of the Johnson-Champoux-Allard model and integrated at the scale of the weave repeat, thereby linking designable fabric parameters to the acoustic properties associated with pore flow. For lightweight fabrics that vibrate under acoustic excitation, a vibration-acoustic coupling model is developed by expressing the equivalent fluid relation in terms of the velocity of the pore air relative to the moving yarn skeleton and coupling fabric vibration with the spatially varying pressure field in the backing cavity. A simplified model assuming a spatially uniform interface pressure is also derived to improve computational efficiency. Numerical and experimental comparisons support the reliability of the framework, with predicted absorption coefficients remaining reasonably close to measurements at mid-to-high frequencies. A further validation case demonstrates its extensibility through appropriate modification of the geometric representation. The model provides a physically interpretable basis for designing woven fabrics with desired sound absorption performance based on their structural parameters.