Assessment of sandwich models for the prediction of sound transmission loss in unidirectional sandwich panels

The consistent higher-order approach and the two-parameter foundation formulation are used for the derivation of sound transmission loss in symmetric unidirectional (infinitely wide) sandwich panels with isotropic face sheets. In both models, transmission loss is calculated using decoupled equations representing symmetric and anti-symmetric motions of a sandwich panel. The closed-form expressions for impedances and transmission coefficient of a symmetric sandwich panel with an isotropic core are derived for the two-parameter foundation model. A comparison between the numerical predictions based on the two sandwich models and available experimental data shows that the consistent higher-order formulation can be used to predict the transmission loss in symmetric sandwich panels with both honeycomb and isotropic cores. For prediction of transmission loss of symmetric sandwich panels with an isotropic core, the two-parameter foundation model is more convenient, while the consistent higher-order approach is more accurate.     

Low frequency sound insulation using stiffness control with honeycomb panels

A new honeycomb core design has been used to increase the stiffness of the panel and applied to improve the noise transmission loss at frequencies between 100 and 200 Hz. A model is presented to predict the transmission loss of the honeycomb panels based on the structural modal parameters. A new test specimen with fiber reinforced plastic cores and face sheets had been used to investigate the effect of stiffness and damping on noise transmission loss. The measurements of noise transmission loss have been compared with data for common structural panels. The results show that the new core fabrication techniques using moulding to improve the noise transmission are effective. In comparison to a cement panel of the same mass, the honeycomb panels have higher TL at low frequencies between 100 and 200 Hz due to higher stiffness and damping. The honeycomb panels have more significant vibration responses above 500 Hz but these are limited by damping.     

Sound transmission across lightweight all-metallic sandwich panels with corrugated cores

The transmission of sound through all-metallic sandwich panels with corrugated cores is investigated using the space-harmonic method. The sandwich panel is modeled as two parallel panels connected by uniformly distributed translational springs and rotational springs, with the mass of the core sheets taken as lumped mass. Based on the periodicity of the panel structure, a unit cell model is developed to provide the effective translational and rotational stiffness of the core. To check the validity of the model, it is used first to study the sound insulation properties of double-panel structures with air cavity, and the analytical predictions agree well with existing experimental data. The model is then employed to quantify the influence of sound incidence angle and the inclination angle between facesheet and core sheet on sound transmission loss （STL） across sandwich panels with corrugated cores. The results show that the inclination angle has a significant effect on STL and it is possible to avoid STL dips by altering the inclination angle. Moreover, it is found that sandwich panels with corrugated cores are more suitable for the insulation of sound waves having small incidence angles.     

Analytical Study on the Rate of Sound Transmission Loss in Single Row Honeycomb Sandwich Panel Using a Numerical Method

Honeycomb structures have recently, replaced with conventional homogeneous materials. Given the fact that sandwich panels containing a honeycomb core are able to adjust geometric parameters, including internal angles, they are suitable for acoustic control applications. The main objective of this study was to obtain a transmission loss curve in a specific honeycomb frequency range along with same overall dimensions and weight. In this study, a finite element model (FEM) in ABAQUS software was used to simulate honeycomb panels, evaluate resonant frequencies, and for acoustic analysis. This model was used to obtain acoustic pressure and then to calculate the sound transmission loss (STL) in MATLAB software. Vibration and acoustic analysis of panels were performed in the frequency range of 1 to 1000 Hz. The models analyzed in this design includes 14-single row-honeycomb designs with angles of −45°, −30°, −15°, 0°, +15°, +30°, +45°. The results showed that a-single row and −45°cell angle honeycomb panel in the frequency range of 1 to 1000 Hz had the highest STL as well as the highest number of frequency modes (90 mods). Furthermore, the panel had the highest STL regarding the area under the STL curve (dB∙Hz). The panels containing more frequency mods, have a higher transmission loss. Moreover, the sound transmission loss is more sensitive to the cell angle variable (θ). In other studies, the STL was more sensitive to the number of honeycomb cells in the horizontal and vertical directions, as well as the angle of cells.     

非对称夹芯板隔声量的解析计算模型及影响因素

提出了一种计算上下面板非对称的三明治夹芯板隔声性能的方法.通过对非对称夹芯梁表观抗弯曲刚度的计算,得到对应夹芯板随频率变化的表观抗弯刚度,代入4阶的控制方程,应用模态展开法可以方便地计算简支非对称夹芯板的隔声量.对4种定制的3层非对称碳纤维夹芯板进行了理论计算和实验测试对比,在频率范围100～3150Hz内,计权隔声量...     

Optimal design of acoustical sandwich panels with a genetic algorithm

An optimization study is performed to design a sandwich panel with a balance of acoustical and mechanical properties at minimal weight. An acoustical model based on higher-order sandwich beam theory is used with mechanical analysis of the maximum deflection at the center of the sandwich panel under a concentrated force. First, a parametric study is performed to determine the effects of individual design variables on the sound transmission loss of the sandwich panel. Next, by constraining the acoustical and mechanical behavior of the sandwich panel, the area mass density of the sandwich panel is minimized using a genetic algorithm. The sandwich panels are constructed from eight face-sheet and sixteen core materials, with varying thicknesses of the face sheets and the core. The resulting design is a light-weight, mechanically efficient sound insulator with strength and stiffness comparable to sandwich structures commonly used in structural applications.     

Transmission loss of periodically stiffened laminate composite panels: shear deformation and in-plane interaction effects

This paper investigates the transmission loss of symmetric and asymmetric laminate composite panels periodically reinforced by composite stiffeners. A comprehensive model based on periodic structure theory is developed. First order shear deformation theory is used and the coupling of the in-plane motion of the panel with its out-of-plane motion is taken into account. Stiffeners interact with the panel through three forces (two in-plane, one out-of-plane) and a torsion moment. Three types of cross sections are investigated for the composite stiffeners: I-shaped, C-shaped, and omega-shaped cross-sections. The model is validated numerically by comparison with the finite element/boundary element method. Experimental validations are also conducted. In both cases, excellent agreement is obtained. Numerical results show that the in-plane coupling effect is increased by increasing the panel thickness and the stiffener's eccentricity. The in-plane coupling effect is also found to increase with frequency.     

多孔弹性介质三层夹心板的隔声性能研究

应用Biot关于流体饱和多孔弹性介质的声传播理论,采用传递矩阵的分析方法,就复合多孔弹性材料夹心三层板在不同结构情况下的隔声性能进行了理论研究和实验分析,并与同等条件下双层夹心板的隔声性能进行了比较。数值计算和实验结果均表明,与双层夹心板相比,三层夹心板在中高频段隔声性能有明显优势,但低频段隔声性能有一定程度上的下降。研究还表明不同结构的复合三层夹心板在隔声效果上也各有特色。     

Comparison of various decentralised structural and cavity feedback control strategies for transmitted noise reduction through a double panel structure

This paper compares various decentralised control strategies, including structural and acoustic actuator–sensor configuration designs, to reduce noise transmission through a double panel structure. The comparison is based on identical control stability indexes. The double panel structure consists of two panels with air in between and offers the advantages of low sound transmission at high frequencies, low heat transmission, and low weight. The double panel structure is widely used, such as in the aerospace and automotive industries. Nevertheless, the resonance of the cavity and the poor sound transmission loss at low frequencies limit the double panel's noise control performance. Applying active structural acoustic control to the panels or active noise control to the cavity has been discussed in many papers. In this paper, the resonances of the panels and the cavity are considered simultaneously to further reduce the transmitted noise through an existing double panel structure. A structural–acoustic coupled model is developed to investigate and compare various structural control and cavity control methods. Numerical analysis and real-time control results show that structural control should be applied to both panels. Three types of cavity control sources are presented and compared. The results indicate that the largest noise reduction is obtained with cavity control by loudspeakers modified to operate as incident pressure sources.     

Analysis of the sound transmission loss of panels with resonant systems on the basis of equivalent representations

Effects of increasing the sound transmission loss of panels with the help of resonant systems on the basis of equivalent representations are analyzed. Emphasis is placed on the least-studied resonant systems, the inertial bodies of which simultaneously interact with media on each side of the panels. A universal expression for the sound transmission loss of panels with an arbitrary system of resonant elements with one degree of freedom is presented. It includes the parameters common to all types of resonators (the total mass, compressibility, quality factor, and characteristic frequencies). The expression can be directly used to compare the efficiency of different types of resonant systems mounted on a panel and to determine their optimum parameters.     

基于散射矩阵法的飞机壁板声学优化设计

采用散射矩阵法分析夹层板结构声学特性,并对典型的夹层板结构即飞机壁板进行声学优化,预计飞机壁板隔声特性,获得蒙皮、隔声隔热层、内饰板及它们的组合结构的声学性能。针对尾吊飞机客舱后部噪声过大问题,通过增加铺设隔热隔声层以及部分区域优化安装阻尼层等一系列被动降噪处理方法,对主要传递路径的飞机壁板结构进行优化,降低客舱后部噪声水平,并进行试验验证。试验结果表明:散射矩阵法可快速准确获得夹层结构的隔声性能,并与混响室法测试结果吻合较好;在厚度不变的前提下,改变隔热隔声层的铺设方式和材料密度对壁板隔声性能影响较小,但在蒙皮内侧粘贴阻尼层能在一定频段范围提高壁板隔声性能;将优化的壁板构型应用到飞机后舱段侧壁板,舱内噪声水平可降低约3 dB。     

An indirect hybrid sound transmission loss controller

The control of sound transmission through panels is an important noise control problem in the aerospace, aeronautical, and automotive industries. The trend towards using lightweight composite materials that have lower sound insulation performance is a negative factor regarding low frequency transmission loss. Double-panel partitions with the gap filled with sound absorption materials are often employed to improve the sound insulation performance with reduced added weight penalty. However, in the low frequency range, the strong coupling between the panels through the air cavity and mechanical paths may greatly reduce the sound transmission performance, making it even lower than the performance of a single panel in some frequency ranges. In this work, an experimental investigation of a new kind of hybrid (active/passive) acoustic actuator is presented. The idea consists of replacing the acoustic absorption material by a hybrid actuator aiming at improving the transmission loss at low frequencies without altering the passive attenuation. A prototype of the system is tested in a plane wave acoustic tube setup. Different kinds of SISO feedforward control implementations were used to attenuate the sound power transmitted through the hybrid active–passive panel using an error microphone or a particle velocity sensor placed downstream with respect to the sample panel. Measurement results of the transmission loss with active and hybrid attenuation are presented and discussed.     

EFFECTS OF END CAP AND ASPECT RATIO ON TRANSMISSION OF SOUND ACROSS A TRUSS-LIKE PERIODIC DOUBLE PANEL

Transmission of sound across 2-D truss-like periodic double panels separated by an air gap and in contact with an acoustic fluid on the external faces is analyzed. Each panel is made of repeated cells. Combining the transfer matrices of the unit cell forms a set of equations for the overall elastic frequency response. The acoustic pressure in the fluids is expressed using a source boundary element method. Adding rigid reflecting end caps confines the air in the gap between panels which influences sound transmission. Measured values of transmission loss differ from the 2-D model by the wide low-frequency dip of the mass-spring-mass or “msm” resonance also termed the “air gap resonance”. In this case, the panels act as rigid masses and the air gap acts as an adiabatic air spring. Results from the idealized 3-D and 2-D models, incorporating rigid cavities and elastic plates, reveal that the “msm” dip is absent in 2-D models radiating into a semi-infinite medium. The dip strengthens as aspect ratio approaches unity. Even when the dip disappears in 2-D, TL rises more steeply for frequencies above the “msm” frequency.     

Estimation method for parameters of construction on predicting transmission loss of double leaf dry partition

For improving sound insulation of a double leaf dry partition, each leaf is often consisted of more than one panel. Previous study on predicting a transmission loss of double leaf partition, treats with the leaf varied just two kinds of panels and restricted to a leaf having same kind and same thickness. These restrictions are unfit for variety of current building materials and constructions. This study makes a prediction formula for a transmission loss of the double leaf partition with laminated leaves by a theoretical analysis and an experiment, and will discuss the predicted value with measured value in previous studies and catalogs.     

Noise transmission through stiffened panels

An analytical study is presented to predict low frequency noise transmission through finite stiffened panels into rectangular enclosures. Noise transmission is determined by solving the acoustic wave equation for the interior noise field and stiffened panel equations for vibrations of panels and stringers. The solution to this system of equations is obtained by a Galerkin-like procedure where the modes and frequencies for stiffened panels are determined by the transfer matrix method. Results include a comparison between theory and experiment and noise transmission through the sidewall of an aircraft.     

A mixed 3D-Shell analytical model for the prediction of sound transmission through sandwich cylinders

The sound transmission through an infinite multilayer cylinder composed of orthotropic skins and an isotropic polymer core is calculated analytically. The motions of the two thin orthotropic skins are described with the first-order shear deformation theory while the isotropic core is modeled with the three-dimensional elasticity theory. The polymer core transfer matrix relating the displacements and the stresses at the two common interfaces between the core and the skins is first calculated. The coupling of the two skins is then made using the modal transfer matrix of the core, leading to the global dynamic equilibrium of the multilayer cylinder. The sound Transmission Loss (TL) of the cylinder excited by an acoustic plane wave is finally calculated. Our results are compared with results published recently in the literature. Excellent agreement is observed for thin cores where the three layers vibrate in phase in the radial direction. The usefulness of the three-dimensional model is demonstrated for a thick and soft core in the higher frequency domain where the skins are vibrating out of phase with a relative displacement in the radial direction. Finally, a parametric study is conducted to demonstrate the influence of the damping of each layer and some observations are made on the shear and compressional strain energies of each layer.     

Active control of acoustic reflection,absorption, and transmission using thin panel speakers

This paper explores the development of thin panels that can be controlled electronically so as to provide surfaces with desired reflection coefficients. Such panels can be used as either perfect reflectors or absorbers. They can also be designed to be transmission blockers that block the propagation of sound. The development of the control system is based on the use of wave separation algorithms that separate incident sound from reflected sound. In order to obtain a desired reflection coefficient, the reflected sound is controlled to appropriate levels. The incident sound is used as an acoustic reference for feedforward control and has the important property of being isolated from the action of the control system speaker. In order to use a panel as a transmission blocker, the acoustic pressure behind the panel is driven to zero. The use of the incident signal as a reference again plays a key role in successfully reducing broadband transmission of sound. The panels themselves are constructed using poster board and small rare-earth actuators. Detailed experimental results are presented showing the efficacy of the algorithms in achieving real-time control of reflection or transmission. The panels are able to effectively block transmission of broadband sound. Practical applications for these panels include enclosures for noisy machinery, noise-absorbing wallpaper, the development of sound walls, and the development of noise-blocking glass windows.     

Sound transmission prediction by 3-D elasticity theory

The problem of sound transmission through layered panel structures is studied with the exact theory of three-dimensional (3-D) elasticity. The exact solution to the 3-D elasticity equations is obtained by the use of the Fourier spectral method. Based on this analytical solution, a transfer matrix is derived that relates the spectral displacements and stresses on the one surface of the panel to those on the opposite panel surface. The transfer matrix is then used to develop the analytical solutions for sound reflection and transmission coefficients. Explicit, concise expressions are obtained for the analytical solutions of the acoustic transmission and reflection coefficients under the general conditions of layered anisotropic panels. Examples are given for both single-layer and sandwich panels. Predictions on sound transmission from the 3-D elasticity theory are compared with available data from other methods, and the results are discussed.     

Calculation methods for the transmission loss of single,double and triple partitions

Methods of calculating the transmission loss for single and double walls are presented. These methods are developed using a statistical energy analysis (SEA). In principle the methods are based on separate calculations of resonant and non-resonant transmission for frequencies less than the critical frequency, $\text{f}{}_{\mathrm{c}}$, of the panels and calculation of only resonant transmission for frequencies equal to, and greater than, $\text{f}{}_{\mathrm{c}}$.Comparisons between calculated and measured results show good agreement.A calculation method is also presented for the transmission loss of triple panels for frequencies greater than the cut-off frequency for the cavities. For frequencies less than the cut-off frequency for the smallest cavity depth it is shown that, in most cases, the effect of the middle panel is very slight.     

Acoustic characterization of panel materials under simulated ocean conditions using a parametric array source

A technique for evaluating the underwater acoustic performance of panels under simulated ocean conditions in a laboratory test facility is described. The method uses a parametric array as a source of sound within a test vessel capable of simulating ocean depths down to 700 m and water temperatures from 2 to 35 degrees C. The reflection loss and transmission loss of the test panel may be determined at frequencies from a few kilohertz to 50 kHz. The use of the parametric array enables wideband measurements to be undertaken with short-duration pulses and reduces the effects of diffraction from the panel edges. An acoustic filter is used to truncate the array in order to provide a source-free measurement region and to simplify the measurement process. The difficulties of establishing a parametric array in the confined space of the vessel are outlined, and the experimental procedures adopted are described. The techniques were validated by undertaking measurements on two test objects that have predictable behavior. The potential of the technique is also illustrated with experimental results for test panels for hydrostatic pressures up to 2.8 MPa. An extensive discussion of the measurement limitations is included.