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Actran Introduced in the Acoustic Engineering
Course at the University of Brussels
Actran Student Edition gives engineering students new opportunities to learn numerical acoustic simulation
NEWPORT BEACH, CA -- (May 4, 2015) – MSC Software Corporation and Free Field Technologies (FFT),
an MSC Software Company, today announced the adoption of its Actran vibro-acoustic software in the “Tools and
Methods of Acoustic Engineering” course at the University of Brussels (ULB) in Belgium.
The theoretical lecture introduces the fundamentals of acoustics and vibro-acoustics by describing the constitutive
equations and their underlying physical hypotheses. Additionally, key acoustical phenomena are reviewed such
as reflection, absorption, resonance, and fluid-structure interaction. To illustrate the course, students were asked
to investigate several models created with Actran, the acoustic Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) software
developed by FFT. Students were given access to the free Actran Student Edition and were invited to go through
tutorials provided on the MSC Software website. Available tutorials range from sound radiation by a simple
monopole to a simulation of impedance measurements with a Kundt’s tube.
“The acoustics course is fairly theoretical, and students often experience difficulties grasping the physical concepts
underlined by the mathematical developments,” said Jean-Louis Migeot, professor at the University of Brussels
since 2001, and CEO of FFT. “Schools can lack experimental facilities to demonstrate the concepts, so using a
CAE software is definitely the best solution for introducing theories and applications to students during the course.
As a result, students demonstrate a higher command of the course concepts.”
“Even though each problem is different, the solving procedure taught in the Actran Student Edition online tutorials
is very systematic in the way domains and meshes are set-up and solutions calculated,” said Michael El Kadi,
now a PhD student at the Dutch-speaking sister university: Vrije Universiteit Brussel. “In my opinion the key
strength of the program resides in this systematic approach, which makes the program easily accessible to new
users while, at the same time, remaining very powerful for more experienced users.”
About Brussels Faculty of Engineering
The University of Brussels (ULB), founded in 1834, is one of Belgium’s leading universities. Its 24,000+ students
are scattered among several faculties and schools. The Faculty of Applied Sciences, also known as the School
of Engineering, founded in 1873, offers five years engineering curriculum in all fields of engineering: construction,
mechanics, aerospace, electronics, physics, chemistry, bio-engineering and electricity.
About Free Field Technologies (FFT), an MSC Software Company
Founded in 1998, and headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, Free Field Technologies, an MSC Software
company, develops and supports Actran, a powerful software suite for acoustic, vibro-acoustic and aero-acoustic
modeling. Actran contains a wide set of acoustic features making it the solution of choice for customers as diverse
as top car manufacturers and their suppliers, the largest civil and military aircraft and aircraft engine
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manufacturers, leading producers of loudspeakers and other audio devices, consultants, universities and research
centers. FFT maintains offices in Toulouse, Tokyo, Detroit and Beijing.
About MSC Software
MSC Software is one of the ten original software companies and a global leader in helping product manufacturers
to advance their engineering methods with simulation software and services. As a trusted partner, MSC Software
helps companies improve quality, save time, and reduce costs associated with design and test of manufactured
products. Academic institutions, researchers, and students employ MSC’s technology to expand individual
knowledge as well as expand the horizon of simulation. MSC Software employs 1,100 professionals in 20
countries.
For
additional
information
about
MSC
Software’s
products
and
services,
please
visit: www.mscsoftware.com
The MSC Software corporate logo, Simulating Reality, MSC Nastran, Adams, Actran, Digimat, Dytran, Easy5,
Marc, Patran, MSC, MasterKey, MasterKey Plus, MaterialCenter, MSC Apex, SimDesigner, SimManager, and
SimXpert are trademarks or registered trademarks of MSC Software Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the
United States and/or other countries. NASTRAN is a registered trademark of NASA.
Press Contact:
Diego Copiello
714 540 8900