Verification of statistical wave field theory reverberation time predictions

Classical statistical reverberation models, such as Sabine’s and Eyring’s models, provide practitioners with efficient estimates of a room’s reverberation time based on its volume, surface area, and the absorption coefficients of its boundary surfaces. Absorption coefficients quantify sound absorption in terms of energy, which can be of limited use when detailed descriptions of interior acoustic fields are required. In such cases, describing absorption in terms of impedance or admittance is preferable. A statistical theory of wave fields has recently been proposed in the literature. The statistical wave field theory predicts reverberation time at high frequencies based on the locally reacting impedances of the surfaces present in a room. This study verifies the predictions of the statistical wave field theory using various numerical models. Additionally, predictions of the theory are indirectly validated by using the theory to estimate surface impedances from measured data, which are in turn used to predict reverberation times in a shoebox-shaped room and in a reverberation chamber.