This Thesis is focused on the development and implementation of general and efficient numerical methods for the acoustic modelling and design of noise control devices in the exhaust system of combustion engines. Special attention is paid to silencers, that can be divided into reactive and dissipative configurations. For the latter, significant differences are likely to appear in their acoustic behaviour, depending on the temperature variations within the absorbent material. Also, material heterogeneities associated with uneven filling processes and time degradation due to the exhaust gases, can alter the silencer attenuation performance. Therefore, numerical techniques considering all these features are required to guarantee an accurate prediction of the acoustic behaviour.