Ventilated silencer based on layered Helmholtz resonators

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of a multilayer sound-attenuating metamaterial with ventilation capabilities. The design incorporates arrays of Helmholtz resonators embedded within the wall structure. Each cell of the barrier's front wall is a Euclidean polygon, triangular, square, or hexagonal, housing a parallel array of resonators interconnected via an axial ventilation duct. The sound attenuation performance of these barriers is meticulously examined using the lumped parameter theory and the transfer matrix method (TMM), complemented by finite element (FE) simulations. The results indicate that sound attenuation in the audible frequency range (300–2000 Hz) can be significantly enhanced by employing multiple layers of resonators, each layer assigned a unique peak resonance frequency. Despite the design's inherent trade-offs between barrier thickness, ventilation capacity, operational frequency range, and overall sound attenuation, its structural simplicity and straightforward theoretical performance estimation methods make it a promising candidate for applications requiring a specific attenuation spectrum. The sound-blocking performance of the design is further validated through impedance tube experiments, which show a reasonable agreement with the numerical predictions, thereby affirming the efficacy of the proposed design. The performance of multilayer design is also compared with the similar ventilated barriers proposed in the recent studies.