Ultrabroadband chamber silencer using metamaterials
Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 044019 – Published 7 October, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/bp2g-nbpf
Abstract
Conventional chamber silencers are limited by their narrow operational bandwidth. To overcome this limitation, we propose and investigate a metamaterial chamber silencer that integrates a side-loaded acoustic metamaterial array within a contraction or expansion chamber. Through a combination of theoretical modeling and experimental validation, we demonstrate that the strategic placement of the metamaterial units is crucial to achieve broadband sound attenuation. A prototype is fabricated and tested, exhibiting a transmission loss greater than 10 dB across a 2.7-octave bandwidth (500–3300 Hz) while maintaining 50% of the baseline airflow velocity. The underlying physical mechanism for this ultrabroadband performance originates from a synergy between global destructive wave interference and localized resonant dissipation. Our work presents a systematic design methodology for compact, high-performance metamaterial chamber silencers with significant potential for practical applications in industrial duct systems where both substantial noise reduction and high-speed airflow are required.
