Acoustic behaviour analysis and optimal design of a multi-chamber reactive muffler

Abstract

A two-dimensional analytical approach is developed to study the acoustic behaviour of a multi-chamber reactive muffler. The value of the transmission loss is obtained by matching the acoustic pressure and the particle velocity across the interfaces between different domains in the muffler. The analytical approach is validated by experimental results. Unlike the transfer matrix method, with this approach the acoustic behaviours can be studied above the first cut-off frequency of the muffler. Next, the effects of several structural parameters on the transmission loss value are invetigated, including the radii of the baffle holes, the inlet and the outlet, as well as the lengths and the radii of the expansion chambers. The variations in these parameters lead to quite large changes in the value of the transmission loss of the multi-chamber reactive muffler. Then, these parameters are chosen as the variables for the optimal design of the muffler, where the objective is the average transmission loss value between 1000 Hz and 3000 Hz. The results show that the objective value increases from 23.3 dB to 54.9 dB during optimization. The analytical approach in this paper can be used for analysis and optimization of the multi-chamber reactive muffler to reduce the noise effectively and efficiently in various applications.

Keywords

Multi-chamber reactive muffler transmission loss acoustic analysis optimal design exhaust silencer

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Kang

Zuo

Wei

KJ.

Study on the aerodynamic noise of internal flow of regenerative flow compressors for a fuel-cell car. Proc IMechE Part C: J Mechanical Engineering Science 2014; 228(7): 1155–1174.

Munjal

ML.

Acoustics of ducts and mufflers. New York: John Wiley, 2014.

Munjal

Vijayasree

Chaitanya

Flow resistance network analysis of the back-pressure of automotive mufflers. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2013; 20(5): 339–349.

Siano

Bozza

Auriemma

Acoustic and fluid-dynamic optimization of an automotive muffler. Proc IMechE Part D: J Automobile Engineering 2013; 227(5): 735–747.

Sullivan

Crocker

MJ.

Analysis of concentric-tube resonators having unpartitioned cavities. J Acoust Soc Am 1978; 64(1): 207–215.

Xiang

Zuo

Zhang

. Study of micro-perforated tube mufflers with adjustable transmission loss. J Acoust Soc Am 2013; 134(5): 4217.

Zhang

Zuo

Xiang

. Transmission loss theoretical calculation and analysis of double-layer micro-perforated muffler (in Chinese with English abstract). J Central South Univ (Sci and Technol) 2015; 46(2): 505–511.

Xuan

Gong

Ming

. A time-domain finite volume approach for prediction of muffler transmission loss including thermal effects. Proc IMechE Part C: J Mechanical Engineering Science 2014; 228(1): 108–118.

Fang

ZL.

Finite element analysis of transversal modes and acoustic attenuation characteristics of perforated tube silencers. Noise Control Engng J 2012; 60(3): 340–349.

10.

Liu

Fang

Numerical analysis of acoustic attenuation and flow resistance characteristics of double expansion chamber silencers. Noise Control Engng J 2013; 61(5): 487–499.

11.

Lee

Kim

YY.

Topology optimization of muffler internal partitions for improving acoustical attenuation performance. Int J Numer Methods Engng 2009; 80(4): 455–477.

12.

Lee

JW.

Optimal topology of reactive muffler achieving target transmission loss values – design and experiment. Appl Acoust 2015; 88(2): 104–113.

13.

Zuo

Long

. Effects of baffle on acoustic attenuation performance of micro-perforated tube muffler (in Chinese with English abstract). Trans Chin Soc Agric Engng 2014; 30(11): 53–60.

14.

Guo

Zhu

WW.

Acoustic attenuation performance of a perforated resonator with a multi-chamber and its optimal design. Proc IMechE Part D: J Automobile Engineering 2014; 228(9): 1051–1060.

15.

Lee

Jang

GW.

Topology design of reactive mufflers for enhancing their acoustic attenuation performance and flow characteristics simultaneously. Int J Numer Methods Engng 2012; 91: 552–570.

16.

Selamet

Lee

IJ.

Analytical approach for sound attenuation in perforated dissipative silencers. J Acoust Soc Am 2004; 115(5): 2091–2099.

17.

Kirby

Analytic mode matching for a circular dissipative silencer containing mean flow and a perforated pipe. J Acoust Soc Am 2007; 122(6): 3471–3482.

18.

Kirby

Simplified techniques for predicting the transmission loss of a circular dissipative silencer. J Sound Vibr 2001; 243(3): 403–426.

19.

Sharkawy

AIE

Nayfeh

. Effect of an expansion chamber on the propagation of sound in circular ducts. J Acoust Soc Am 1978; 63(3): 667–674.

20.

Denia

Selamet

Fuenmayor

. Acoustic attenuation performance of perforated dissipative mufflers with empty inlet/outlet extensions. J Sound Vibr 2007; 302: 1000–1017.

21.

Tao

Seybert

A review of current techniques for measuring muffler transmission loss. SAE paper 2003-01-1653, 2003.

22.

Chiu

MC.

Optimization of hybrid mufflers on broadband frequencies using the genetic algorithm. Arch Acoust 2011; 36(4): 795–822.

23.

Chiu

Chang

YC.

Shape optimization of multi-chamber side inlet/outlet mufflers hybridized with multiple perforated intruding tubes using a genetic algorithm. J Marine Sci Technol 2013; 21(3): 238–249.