Low-frequency sound absorption of hybrid absorber based on micro-perforated panel and coiled-up channels

TLDR

We propose a hybrid acoustic metamaterial that acts as a broadband low‑frequency super absorber with a simple deep‑subwavelength (5 cm) construction. The absorber combines a micro‑perforated panel with coiled‑up Fabry–Pérot channels, allowing the absorption peak frequency and bandwidth to be tuned by adjusting the panel geometry and channel folding, all within a 5 cm thickness. Over 99 % acoustic absorption is achieved below 500 Hz with a wavelength ~30× the 5 cm thickness, primarily due to friction losses in the MPP, and the bandwidth can be tuned up to 82 % while enabling broad noise‑control applications.

Abstract

We propose a hybrid acoustic metamaterial as a super absorber for a relatively broadband low-frequency sound based on a simple construction with deep-subwavelength thickness (5 cm). The hybrid metamaterial absorber is carefully designed and constructed based on a microperforated panel (MPP) and coiled-up Fabry–Pérot channels. It is demonstrated analytically, numerically, and experimentally that over 99% of acoustic absorption could be achieved at a resonance frequency (<500 Hz) with the working wavelength about 30 times larger than its total thickness. It is revealed that the superior absorption is mainly caused by the friction losses of acoustic wave energy in the MPP. The frequency of the absorption peak could be tuned by adjusting the geometry parameters of the MPP and the channel folding numbers. The relative absorption bandwidth could also be tuned flexibly (up to 82%) with a fixed deep-subwavelength thickness (5 cm). The absorber has wide potential applications in noise control engineering due to its deep-subwavelength thickness, relatively broad bandwidth, and easy fabrication.