Iridescent Perfect Absorption in Critically-Coupled Acoustic Metamaterials Using the Transfer Matrix Method

An Investigation of Modular Composable Acoustic Metamaterials with Multiple Nonunique Chambers

To make the sound absorber easy to fabricate and convenient for practical application, a modular composable acoustic metamaterial with multiple nonunique chambers (MCAM-MNCs) was proposed and investigated, which was divided into a front panel with the same perforated apertures and a rear chamber with a nonunique grouped cavity. Through the acoustic finite element simulation, the parametric studies of the diameter of aperture d, depth of chamber T0, and thickness of panel t0 were conducted, which could tune the sound absorption performances of MCAM-MNCs-1 and MCAM-MNCs-2 for the expected noise reduction effect. The effective sound absorption band of MCAM-MNCs-1 was 556 Hz (773-1329 Hz), 456 Hz (646-1102 Hz), and 387 Hz (564-951 Hz) for T = 30 mm, T = 40 mm, and T = 50 mm, respectively, and the corresponding average sound absorption coefficient was 0.8696, 0.8854, and 0.8916, accordingly, which exhibited excellent noise attenuation performance. The sound absorption mechanism of MCAM-MNCs was investigated by the distributions of the total sound energy density (TSED). The components used to assemble the MCAM-MNCs sample were fabricated by additive manufacturing, and its actual sound absorption coefficients were tested according to the transfer matrix method, which demonstrated its feasibility and promoted its actual application.

A Many-Objective Joint Parallel Simulation Method for Acoustic Optimization Design of Sound-Absorbing Structures

This paper establishes a many-objective MATLAB with a COMSOL joint parallel simulation optimization method in order to solve the current situation of low efficiency, single objective, and poor effect in acoustic optimization design research for a sound-absorbing structure. Our proposed method combines the means for population partitioning, monitoring, and adaptive normalization, within the framework of the NSGA-III algorithm, which takes the hyperplane deployment scheme into account in its entirety. Compared to the traditional genetic algorithm toolbox of the joint COMSOL optimization scheme, it is shown that the joint parallel simulation optimization method that is constructed in this paper achieves a higher optimization efficiency and a better experimental performance, thereby aiding in the identification of the optimal solution to multiple objectives. The optimization efficiency can increase linearly as the number of available cores on the computer increases. This method is then used to construct a parallel, low-frequency, broadband, highly-sound-absorbing structure. Without any constraints on the optimization objective, the diversity of the optimization results is evident within the parameter optimization range of this paper. The optimization results are stable and substantial, with constrained optimization objectives that have some reference value. In addition, the proposed method can solve acoustic vibration optimization problems and can be applied to other finite element optimization problems.

A Metawindow with Optimised Acoustic and Ventilation Performance

Crucial factors in window performance, such as natural ventilation and noise control, are generally conceived separately, forcing users to choose one over the other. To solve this dualism, this study aimed to develop an acoustic metamaterial (AMM) ergonomic window design to allow noise control without dependence on the natural ventilation duration and vice versa. First, the finite element method (FEM) was used to investigate the noise control performance of the acoustic metawindow (AMW) unit, followed by anechoic chamber testing, which also served as the validation of the FEM models. Furthermore, FEM analysis was used to optimise the acoustic performance and assess the ventilation potential. The numerical and experimental results exhibited an overall mean sound reduction of 15 dB within a bandwidth of 380 to 5000 Hz. A good agreement between the measured and numerical results was obtained, with a mean variation of 30%. Therefore, the AMW unit optimised acoustic performance, resulting in a higher noise reduction, especially from 50 to 500 Hz. Finally, most of the AMW unit configurations are suitable for natural ventilation, and a dynamic tuned ventilation capacity can be achieved for particular ranges by adjusting the window’s ventilation opening. The proposed designs have potential applications in building acoustics and engineering where natural ventilation and noise mitigation are required to meet regulations simultaneously.

An Integration Strategy for Acoustic Metamaterials to Achieve Absorption by Design

As much of metamaterials’ properties originate from resonances, the novel characteristics displayed by acoustic metamaterials are a narrow bandwidth and high dispersive in nature. However, for practical applications, broadband is often a necessity. Furthermore, it would even be better if acoustic metamaterials can display tunable bandwidth characteristics, e.g., with an absorption spectrum that is tailored to fit the noise spectrum. In this article we present a designed integration strategy for acoustic metamaterials that not only overcomes the narrow-band Achilles’ heel for acoustic absorption but also achieves such effect with the minimum sample thickness as dictated by the law of nature. The three elements of the design strategy comprise: (a) the causality constraint, (b) the determination of resonant mode density in accordance with the input target impedance, and (c) the accounting of absorption by evanescent waves. Here, the causality constraint relates the absorption spectrum to a minimum sample thickness, derived from the causal nature of the acoustic response. We have successfully implemented the design strategy by realizing three structures of which one acoustic metamaterial structure, comprising 16 Fabry-Perot resonators, is shown to exhibit near-perfect flat absorption spectrum starting at 400 Hz. The sample has a thickness of 10.86 cm, whereas the minimum thickness as dictated by the causality constraint is 10.55 cm in this particular case. A second structure demonstrates the flexible tunability of the design strategy by opening a reflection notch in the absorption spectrum, extending from 600 to 1000 Hz, with a sample thickness that is only 3 mm above the causality minimum. We compare the designed absorption structure with conventional absorption materials/structures, such as the acoustic sponge and micro-perforated plate, with equal thicknesses as the metamaterial structure. In both cases the designed metamaterial structure displays superior absorption performance in the target frequency range.