Porous Sound Attenuator for Engine Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Turbulent fluid flow in engine systems, such as internal combustion engines, generates undesirable noise due to pressure waves exciting natural frequencies, which existing noise attenuation units are unable to effectively mitigate.

Innovation Solution

A noise attenuation unit incorporating a porous sound attenuating member housed within a fluid flow path, made from materials like metals, plastics, or ceramics, with strategically designed bore holes and configurations to minimize fluid flow restriction while attenuating noise pressure waves.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a noise attenuation unit is inserted in a turbulent fluid flow path to reduce noise, then noise attenuation is improved, but fluid flow restriction increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveturbulence-generated noiseVSAvoidfluid flow
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a porous sound attenuating member made from materials such as metals, plastics, or ceramics with controlled porosity. The porous structure allows fluid to pass through while the porous material absorbs and attenuates noise pressure waves through tortuous flow paths and viscous dissipation, thereby reducing noise without significantly restricting overall fluid flow

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The sound attenuating member is strategically positioned within the housing at specific locations in the fluid flow path where noise attenuation is most needed. The housing itself is designed with specific geometries and may include additional flow path features that locally optimize both noise reduction and flow characteristics, applying quality enhancement only where necessary rather than throughout the entire system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 porous sound attenuating member effectively reduces turbulence-generated noise without significantly impeding fluid flow, maintaining structural integrity and performance across varying engine conditions.

Implementation Method 1

The porous sound attenuating member effectively reduces turbulence-generated noise

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcoustic absorption: Acoustic Absorption

Implementation Method 2

A noise attenuation unit incorporating a porous sound attenuating member housed within a fluid flow path

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPorosity: Porosity

Data Source

PatentEP3540207B1Noise attenuation unit for engine systems
Publication Date: 2021.09.29 DAYCO IP HOLDINGS LLC
  • EP3540207B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3540207B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~4
  • EP3540207B1 patent drawingFigure 5A~6

AI summary

Noise attenuation units are disclosed that are connectable in a system as part of a fluid flow path. Such units include a housing defining an internal cavity and having a first port and a second port each connectable to a fluid flow path and in fluid communication with one another through the internal cavity, and a noise attenuating member seated in the internal cavity of the housing within the flow of the fluid communication between the first port and the second port. The noise attenuating member enables the fluid communication between the first port and the second port to flow through the noise attenuating member.