Targeted sound attenuation capacity of 3D printed noise cancelling waveguides

The study explores the creation of 3D printed sound cancelling waveguides that can be customised for selected frequencies as a function of geometry. The potential for attenuation in these waveguides is characterised through experimentally measured acoustic-absorption (alpha) and Transmission Loss (TL). This was done to evaluate the potential of geometry-controlled waveguides in the development of passive sound cancelling structures. Geometrically complex waveguides to exploit the Herschel-Quincke-Arjunan (HQA) waveguide model manufactured in Nylon-12 using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) are presented. The attenuation of the waveguides was compared to the bulk Nylon-12 materials to segregate the material-based influence. The results showed that the performance of HQA waveguides can be controlled as a function of length, diameter and waveguide-tortuosity. Accordingly, under right parameters significant improvement in alpha (0.96, 0.80, 0.61 and 0.98) and TL (65.59%, 30.15%, 53.36% and 95.28%) can be achieved at the design frequency. The proposed methodology can be used to develop customisable waveguides exploiting the principles of acoustic wave interference for a range of application including building walls, noise barriers and absorptive panels. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.