FWF - Stimmentstehung - Numerical computation of the human voice source

The voice is the carrier signal of speech. The process of voice production, also called phonation, can be described by the interaction between the tracheal airflow and the two elastic vocal folds in the larynx which are excited to periodical oscillations. Thus, the two oscillating vocal folds (normally between 100 Hz and 300 Hz) periodically interrupt the expiration air stream forming the primary acoustic voice signal. Although we use our voice continuously and take it for granted, the exact causalities between airflow, vocal fold dynamics, and resulting acoustic voice signal, especially for disturbed or dysphonic voice, are still not fully understood Our central objective is to develop an aeroacoustic computational model “simVoice” for clinical applicability in future. The “simVoice” model will be a hybrid 3D-FVM (computational fluid with driven structural dynamics) and 3D-FEM (aeroacoustics) model, being optimized in computing time due to reduced complexity but still able to resolve the phonatory components to the needed degree. Innovative scientific aspects of this project include the knowledge to which amount turbulent scales have to be resolved for sustaining critical acoustic characteristics, revealing the cause and effect chain of dynamics-airflow-acoustics for the phonation process and the first detailed numerical study on the dependencies of vocal fold dynamics towards the acoustic quality. The expected clinical valuable outcomes of “simVoice” are to (1) help understanding pathological and physiological voice production processes, (2) identify new treatment approaches and to (3) simulate conservative and surgical treatment outcome.