Issue 4, 2017

Optimal sound-absorbing structures

Abstract

The causal nature of the acoustic response dictates an inequality that relates the two most important aspects of sound absorption: the absorption spectrum and the sample thickness. We use the causality constraint to delineate what is ultimately possible for sound absorbing structures, and denote those which can attain near-equality for the causality constraint to be “optimal.” Anchored by the causality relation, a design strategy is presented for realizing structures with target-set absorption spectra and a sample thickness close to the minimum value as dictated by causality. By using this approach, we have realized a 10.86 cm-thick structure that exhibits a broadband, near-perfect flat absorption spectrum starting at around 400 Hz, while the minimum sample thickness from the causality constraint is 10.36 cm. To illustrate the versatility of the approach, two additional optimal structures with different target absorption spectra are presented. This “absorption by design” strategy would enable the tailoring of customized solutions to difficult room acoustic and noise remediation problems.

Graphical abstract: Optimal sound-absorbing structures

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
01 Mar 2017
Accepted
15 May 2017
First published
16 May 2017

Mater. Horiz., 2017,4, 673-680

Optimal sound-absorbing structures

M. Yang, S. Chen, C. Fu and P. Sheng, Mater. Horiz., 2017, 4, 673 DOI: 10.1039/C7MH00129K

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