Explicit predictor–corrector method for nonlinear acoustic waves excited by a moving wave emitting boundary

We present an explicit finite difference time domain method to solve the lossless Westervelt equation for a moving wave emitting boundary in one dimension and in spherical symmetry. The approach is based on a coordinate transformation between a moving physical domain and a fixed computational domain. This allows to simulate the combined effects of wave profile distortion due to the constitutive nonlinearity of the medium and the nonlinear Doppler modulation of a pressure wave due to the acceleration of the wave emitting boundary. A predictor–corrector method is employed to enhance the numerical stability of the method in the presence of shocks and grid motion. It is demonstrated that the method can accurately predict the Doppler shift of nonlinear wave distortion and the amplitude modulation caused by an oscillating motion of the wave emitting boundary. The novelty of the presented methodology lies in its capability to reflect the Doppler shift of the rate of nonlinear wave profile distortion and shock attenuation for finite amplitude acoustic waves emitted from an accelerating boundary. •We present a model to compute nonlinear acoustic waves emitted from a moving boundary.•A predictor–corrector method dampens numerical dispersion in the explicit FDTD method.•The numerical scheme mimics the physical dissipation of energy across the shock front.•The motion of the wave emitter causes a Doppler shift of the shock formation distance.•Accelerating motion of the wave emitter results in amplitude and frequency modulation.