Periodic Acoustic Panel with Interconnected Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional acoustic panels in vehicles and buildings are inadequate in effectively attenuating noise across a broad frequency range, leading to discomfort and potential health issues for occupants due to unattenuated noise from engines, airflow, and other sources.
Innovation Solution
The development of a noise attenuation panel featuring a periodic structure with interconnected unit cells, including axial and lateral tubes, and a facesheet with perforations, which forms a layered lattice structure that restricts fluid flow through mesh or solid sections to enhance sound absorption across various frequencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional acoustic panels with simple core structures are used, then the structure is lightweight and easy to manufacture, but the noise attenuation capability across broad frequency ranges is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The core structure is divided into multiple unit cells, each containing axial tubes and lateral tubes that segment the fluid flow paths. This segmentation creates multiple resonating chambers that can attenuate different frequency ranges simultaneously, enhancing overall noise attenuation capability while maintaining a modular structure
Solution Approach 2:
The unit cells are nested within a periodic lattice structure where axial tubes connect central bodies across layers and lateral tubes extend outward. This nested arrangement allows multiple functional elements to be integrated within a compact volume, increasing attenuation effectiveness without proportionally increasing overall structure size
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the panel structure is made more rigid and dense to improve noise suppression, then the noise attenuation performance improves, but the weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The panel uses thin skin surfaces that are perforated rather than solid, creating a lightweight structure that still provides effective noise attenuation through the resonating core structure. The perforated skins allow fluid communication with the unit cells while maintaining structural integrity with minimal material
Solution Approach 2:
The core structure is segmented into multiple hollow unit cells with tube networks rather than using a solid dense material. This segmentation provides effective noise suppression through distributed resonating chambers while maintaining low weight through the hollow, cellular architecture
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a simple single-degree of freedom cell structure is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the damping performance per unit volume is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Each unit cell is segmented into multiple functional zones with axial tubes for vertical fluid communication and lateral tubes for horizontal connections. This internal segmentation creates multiple resonating pathways within each cell, significantly increasing damping performance per unit volume compared to simple single-chamber cells
Solution Approach 2:
The unit cells are arranged in a three-dimensional periodic lattice structure with axial tubes extending in the vertical dimension and lateral tubes extending in horizontal dimensions. This multi-dimensional arrangement maximizes the damping volume utilization and creates complex fluid flow paths that enhance attenuation performance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed solution provides improved noise attenuation across a broader frequency range compared to conventional panels, offering greater damping per unit volume and potential weight savings, while allowing for tuning of the panel to specific frequency ranges through adjustable restrictions.
Implementation Method 1
This enables the cells of the core structure to act like individual Helmholtz or quarter-wave resonators that attenuate a certain tone or tones, at specific frequencies or wavelengths
Implementation Method 2
This enables the cells of the core structure to act like individual Helmholtz or quarter-wave resonators that attenuate a certain tone or tones, at specific frequencies or wavelengths
Implementation Method 3
The proposed solution provides improved noise attenuation across a broader frequency range compared to conventional panels, offering greater damping per unit volume
Data Source
AI summary
An acoustic attenuation structure includes a periodic structure having a first unit cell, the first unit cell having a first central body and a first axial tube disposed on the first central body and a second axial tube disposed on the first central body, opposite the first axial tube, each of the first axial tube and the second axial tube being in fluid communication with one another through the first central body.