Sound absorption structure in helical shapes made using fibrous paper

Abstract

This paper presents sound absorbing structure constructed using multiple layers of fibrous papers. Sound absorbing materials converts sound wave into thermal energy due to the porosity. The proposed sound absorbing structure has helical-like shapes in layered format with cyclic winding of the mulberry papers and coconut fibers. The acoustic properties changes depending on the thickness of the air cavity between the thin layers and porosity of the layers themselves. Sound absorption coefficients were measured using two-microphone impedance tube in order to investigate the acoustic property variations with porosity. The measured results were compared to predictions utilizing wave propagations through a slit for verification of the sound absorbing mechanism. A simple method for improving the sound absorption with less material by composite structure is proposed and verified through the experiment. Dynamic stiffness and loss factor of the helical-shaped sound absorbers were measured and compared by analyzing supporting properties to the vibrating beam. Depending on the construction method, the frame dynamic properties showed variation even when the sound absorption was identical. This information is required for optimal design of absorbing layers for specific noise control applications.