Optimizing Loudspeakers Placement for Active Noise Control in Double-Glazing.

Active noise control (ANC) in double-glazing (DG) systems generally follows three strategies: minimizing acoustic pressure in the cavity, downstream of the panel, or through active vibration control. While controlling the pressure field within the air gap shows potential for reducing transmitted sound, existing studies often rely on symmetric, corner-mounted loudspeaker configurations, which may be suboptimal for maximizing attenuation. This study explores how many loudspeakers are needed and where to position them inside the cavity to improve downstream attenuation. A finite element model simulating the transmission loss (TL) of a 2.1m×0.85m DG panel was developed in COMSOL and validated using measurements in a coupled-room facility. To assess ANC performance from 100-500Hz, this model was coupled with MATLAB to compute the anti-noise generated by each loudspeaker. A pseudo brute-force optimization in MATLAB was then used to identify the most effective loudspeaker positions along the inner perimeter of the cavity. This presentation details the optimization method and compares simulated TL and attenuation for different layouts. Results are discussed in relation to classical configurations from the literature, demonstrating that optimized source placement can significantly enhance ANC performance. Future work will focus on experimental validation of both harmonic and broadband active DG systems.