On the use of perforations to improve the sound absorption of porous materials

The concept of meso-perforations in appropriately chosen porous media can help enhance their sound absorption performance. The meso-perforated materials are also referred to as “double porosity materials” since they are made up of two interconnected networks of pores of different characteristic size. Several theoretical, numerical and experimental works have been accomplished on the subject by the authors. The purpose of this paper is to give a synthetic review of these works and establish practical design rules to develop optimized noise control solutions based on this concept. The paper presents two complementary models to deal with this kind of materials: an analytical model based on homogenization techniques and a numerical model relying on a finite element discretization of the domains. The limits of these models are discussed. The choice of the design parameters is then been investigated in order to provide practical design rules. This choice relies on a criterion which is evaluated from the knowledge of the resistivity, porosity and tortuosity of the micropous medium, and the calculation of a geometrical parameter defined from the chosen mesoscopic structure. Experimental and numerical results regarding the influence of the mesopore profile along the thickness performed in a appropriately chosen substrate microporous medium are presented. The agreement between the models and the experiments is satisfactory. Results show that significant enhancements of the absorption properties can be obtained over a selected frequency band by adjusting the mesopore profile. It is also shown that interesting absorbing properties can be obtained when coating a double porosity medium with an impervious screen.     

Improved sound absorption performance of three-dimensional MPP space sound absorbers by filling with porous materials

Because microperforated panels (MPPs), which can be made from various materials, provide wide-band sound absorption, they are recognized as one of the next-generation absorption materials. Although MPPs are typically placed in front of rigid walls, MPP space sound absorbers without a backing structure, including three-dimensional cylindrical MPP space absorbers (CMSAs) and rectangular MPP space absorbers (RMSAs), are proposed to extend their design flexibility and easy-to-use properties. On the other hand, improving the absorption performance by filling the back cavity of typical MPP absorbers with porous materials has been shown theoretically, and three-dimensional MPP space absorbers should display similar improvements. Herein the effects of porous materials inserted into the cavities of CMSAs and RMSAs are experimentally investigated and a numerical prediction method using the two-dimensional boundary element method is proposed. Consequently, CMSAs and RMSAs with improved absorption performances are illustrated based on the experimental results, and the applicability of the proposed prediction method as a design tool is confirmed by comparing the experimental and numerical results.     

释压法混合吸声系统中多孔材料厚度优化研究

研究释压法主被动混合吸声结构吸声性能与多孔吸声材料参数的关系,利用释压法对材料厚度敏感的特性,选择合适的多孔材料厚度提高系统的低频吸声性能。提出一种释压法主被动混合双层吸声结构,将误差传声器置入两层吸声结构之间的空气层中,分别优化各层的厚度,在较宽频带内获得较好吸声。对流阻系数为15000NSm^-4的一类典型的玻璃棉数值仿真,发现选择优化厚度分别为2.8 cm和6 cm,中间空腔长为2 cm,可使有效吸声频带向下大幅扩展。实验结果验证了所提宽带吸声结构。     

On the use of porous inclusions to improve the acoustical response of porous materials: Analytical model and experimental verification

Acoustical composite materials obtained through a set of porous inclusions are studied. A theoretical model based on the homogenization hypotheses introduced by Boutin et al. [1] is presented; the inclusions are supposed periodic and the frame rigid. The idea behind the inclusion of a second acoustical porous material into the original single porosity material, is to obtain the pressure diffusion effect already observed in the double porosity case. At the same time, the main disadvantages of double porosity are faced, especially the absorption behavior at very low frequency and the loss of performances in transmission. Experimental data are obtained in Kundt Tubes of different dimensions in terms of absorption curves and compared to analytical results for representative configurations, thus validating the theoretical model.     

Evaluation of the acoustic and non-acoustic properties of sound absorbing materials using a three-microphone impedance tube

This paper presents a straightforward application of an indirect method based on a three-microphone impedance tube setup to determine the non-acoustic properties of a sound absorbing porous material. First, a three-microphone impedance tube technique is used to measure some acoustic properties of the material (i.e., sound absorption coefficient, sound transmission loss, effective density and effective bulk modulus) regarded here as an equivalent fluid. Second, an indirect characterization allows one to extract its non-acoustic properties (i.e., static airflow resistivity, tortuosity, viscous and thermal characteristic lengths) from the measured effective properties and the material open porosity. The procedure is applied to four different sound absorbing materials and results of the characterization are compared with existing direct and inverse methods. Predictions of the acoustic behavior using an equivalent fluid model and the found non-acoustic properties are in good agreement with impedance tube measurements.     

Effects of compression on the sound absorption of porous materials with an elastic frame

The absorption characteristics of a porous material are well known to vary during compression. The transfer matrix method is applied with an elastic frame to explore the effect of compression on absorption properties. In this work, the materials are treated as elastic rather than being made of rigid models. The absorption coefficients of the uncompressed and compressed porous material are initially calculated and verified from the experimental measurements. Then, numerical predictions of absorption coefficient are made for the compressed porous material.     

含空气层与多孔材料的复合结构隔声特性研究

基于高速列车减振降噪需求,本文应用Biot提出的多孔弹性介质声传播理论,采用传递矩阵法理论推导了典型分层结构的隔声量计算公式,给出了空气层与多孔材料对分层复合结构隔声特性的影响。将传递矩阵与遗传算法相结合,对特定中低频段内的复合结构隔声特性进行了优化。研究结果表明:空气层和多孔材料有助于分层复合结构隔声量的提高,特别是空气层对低频隔声有很好的促进作用,另外空气层与多孔材料的分配情况也影响着隔声效果。含有空气层的复合结构在提高隔声量的同时降低了结构的总体重量,实现了高速列车隔声材料低能耗和轻量化的设计目标。     

Applicability of locally reacting boundary conditions to porous material layer backed by rigid wall: Wave-based numerical study in non-diffuse sound field with unevenly distributed sound absorbing surfaces

To clarify the applicability of locally reacting boundary conditions in wave-based numerical analyses of sound fields in rooms, we numerically analyzed a non-diffuse sound field in a room with unevenly distributed sound absorbing surfaces and investigated the differences between the extended and local reactions. Each absorbing surface was a porous material layer backed by a rigid wall. Simulations were performed by the fast multipole boundary element method, a highly efficient boundary element method using the fast multipole method. At low frequencies, the extended and local reactions yielded similar reverberation decay curves because of the influence of the room. However, when the random incidence absorption coefficients were small at low frequencies or frequencies were high, the difference was greater than expected from the corresponding Eyring decay lines. We conclude at high frequencies, the locally reacting boundary conditions lead to a longer reverberation time than that expected from the absorption coefficient differences between the extended and local reactions. These differences were similar in sound-pressure-level and sound-intensity-level distributions, and in the oblique incidence absorption coefficient of the absorbing surfaces, but were increased at low frequencies.     

Experimental estimation of the transmission loss contributions of a sound package placed in a double wall structure

The objective of this paper is to propose a practical impedance tube method to optimize the sound transmission loss of double wall structure by concentrating on the sound package placed inside the structure. In a previous work, the authors derived an expression that breakdown the transmission loss of a double wall structure containing a sound absorbing blanket separated from the panels by air layers in terms of three main contributions; (i) sound transmission loss of the panels, (ii) sound transmission loss of the blanket and (iii) sound absorption due to multiple reflections inside the cavity. The sound transmission loss contributions of the blanket can thus be estimated from three acoustic measurements using impedance tube techniques: two reflection coefficients at the front face and the rear face of the blanket placed in specific positions characteristic of its position inside the double wall structure and its sound transmission coefficient. The method is first validated in the case of a double wall structure filled with a 2 in. foam material. Next, it is applied to investigate (i) the effect of frame compression of a 2 in. fibre glass in an aeronautic-type double wall structure and (ii) the effect of double porosity with or without porous inclusions in a building-type double wall structure.     

Analysis of sound absorption by periodic structures using a hybrid-boundary element/mode expansion method

An improved hybrid method is proposed for analyzing sound scattering by a periodic structure. Part of the scattered field formulated with the mode expansion method is combined with other components of the field formulated with the boundary integration method in one period of the structure. Structures treated by this method can have arbitrary periodic forms made of locally reactive boundaries and porous materials. The oblique incident absorption coefficient of the structure is obtained simply from the reflection factor calculated for each elemental wave of the scattered field. The accuracy of the method is demonstrated by the agreement between calculated and measured values of the normal absorption coefficient of some test structures.     

Predicting the sound absorption of natural materials: Best-fit inverse laws for the acoustic impedance and the propagation constant

Natural materials are becoming a valid option for sound absorption treatments. In particular, among them, natural fibers have received increasing attention given their good thermal insulation properties, lack of harmful effects on health, and availability in large quantities. This paper discusses an inverse method to predict the acoustical properties of nine natural fibers. Six vegetative fibers: kenaf, wood, hemp, coconut, straw, and cane; one animal fiber, sheep wool; recycled cardboard; and granular cork are investigated. The absorption coefficient and the flow resistance for samples of different thickness have been measured. Moving from the Delany-Bazley model, this study compares the impedance tube results with the theoretically predicted ones. Then, using a least-square fit procedure based on the Nelder-Mead method, the coefficients that best predict both the acoustic impedance and the propagation constant laws are calculated. The inverse approach used in this paper allows to determine different physical parameters and to obtain formulas to include the investigated natural fibers in software modelling for room acoustics applications.     

Using shock waves to improve the sound absorbing efficiency of closed-cell foams

Producing closed-cell foams is generally cheaper and simpler than open-cell foams. However, the acoustic and filtration efficiency of closed-cell foam materials is generally poor because it is very difficult for fluid or acoustic waves to penetrate into the material. A new method using shock waves to remove the membranes closing the cell pores (known as reticulation) and thus to improve the acoustic and filtration behavior of closed-cell foam material is presented. Various shock treatments have been carried out on polyurethane and polyimide foams and the following conclusions were drawn: (1) reticulation efficiency increased and thus the airflow resistivity and tortuosity decreased when increasing the amplitude of the shock treatment; (2) the rigidity of the foam is decreased; (3) the process is reliable and repeatable and (4) obtained acoustic performance is comparable to classical thermal reticulation.     

基于声压-质点速度声强探头的材料吸声系数的测量

通过由一个声压换能器和一个质点速度换能器所构成的传感器(p-u声强探头)同时测量材料表面附近的声压和质点振动速度,可直接得到其声学阻抗,进而得到材料的反射因子、吸声系数。本文利用一个p-u探头声强测量系统,在半消声室内测量了三聚氰胺泡沫的吸声系数,分析了声源高度和入射角度、材料样本尺寸和厚度对吸声系数测量的影响,并和阻抗管中测量得到的法向吸声系数进行了对比。最后分析了声阻抗率的幅值和相位误差对吸声系数的影响,推导了它们的误差传递公式。     

Effect of acoustical damping with a porous absorptive layer in the cavity to reduce the structure-borne sound radiation from a double-leaf structure

Structure-borne sound radiation from a double-leaf structure with a porous absorptive layer in the cavity is studied theoretically as well as experimentally. The study is for establishing a countermeasure to reduce the structure-borne noise radiated from an interior leaf into rooms and for clarifying its reduction effect. The sound field radiated from a double-leaf elastic plate with layers of arbitrary media in the cavity set into vibration by a point force excitation is theoretically analyzed. The effect of the bulk vibration of an absorptive layer is also considered by a simple model into the present theory. Radiation reduction of an inner-layer derived from the theory is experimentally validated. Parametric studies reveal that increasing the ratio of an absorptive layer thickness to the cavity depth is effective to reduce the structure-borne sound radiation but high flow resistivity of the absorbent material is not necessarily required. A practical equation to predict the mass-air-mass resonance frequency for absorbent cavity case is given in a simple form.