Investigation of the sound insulation and natural ventilation performance of a metamaterial-based open window

Abstract

Recent advancements in metamaterials have created new opportunities to enhance indoor environmental quality (IEQ) by integrating natural ventilation and sound insulation in architectural designs. Metamaterial-based windows can facilitate natural ventilation, contributing to energy savings while also protecting against outdoor noise. However, international standards for assessing façade sound insulation typically assume all partitions are closed, with only the Danish standard DS 447:2021 accounting for partially open conventional windows. These standards do not address simultaneous noise mitigation and natural ventilation. To fill this gap, this study evaluated a prototype metamaterial-based device called the Acoustic Metawindow (AMW) unit using three experimental methods. These methods included the diffuse field method (ISO 10140 series), an adapted directive sound field method (EN 1793-6), and beamforming to control sound leakages from the AMW unit in both closed and open states. Additionally, the study used an adapted ISO 9972 method to assess the ventilation potential alongside sound insulation of the open AMW unit. The findings revealed that the AMW unit significantly outperformed equivalently open windows, achieving a sound level difference (Dn,e) improvement of 5–15 dB in the 500–5000 Hz frequency range, resulting in a total Dn,e,w of 30 dB. The study also indicated a correlation between the frequency range of effective sound insulation and the metamaterial design features of the AMW unit. This research suggests the possibility of a more inclusive standard that considers partially open sound-insulating devices as windows in the built environment, combining noise mitigation and energy saving.