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Demonstration of a wireless, self-powered, electroacoustic liner system
Alex Phipps1, Fei Liu, Louis Cattafesta
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-6130.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|February 12, 2009
Summary
This study shows a self-powered active liner that suppresses aircraft engine noise using electromechanical Helmholtz resonators (EMHRs). The system harvests energy to power its noise-canceling functions, demonstrating robust operation across various sound levels.
Area of Science:
- Acoustics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Aircraft engine noise poses significant environmental and operational challenges.
- Active noise control (ANC) systems offer a promising approach to mitigate noise pollution.
- Existing ANC systems often require external power sources, limiting their applicability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the system operation of a self-powered active liner for aircraft engine noise suppression.
- To validate the effectiveness of electromechanical Helmholtz resonators (EMHRs) in both energy harvesting and acoustic impedance tuning.
- To assess the robustness of the energy harvesting and storage system under varying acoustic conditions.
Main Methods:
- The core component, an electromechanical Helmholtz resonator (EMHR), was designed with a piezoceramic composite plate.
- Two EMHRs were utilized: one for acoustic impedance tuning (shunted with a variable resistive load) and another for energy harvesting (shunted to a power converter and storage element).
- Acoustic impedance conditions were wirelessly transmitted, and harvested energy powered the system's receiver and tuning circuitry.
Main Results:
- The active liner system successfully demonstrated self-powered operation for noise suppression.
- Energy harvesting and storage system proved robust across sound pressure levels of 148, 151, and 153 dB.
- An acoustic tuning range of approximately 200 Hz was achieved at each tested power level.
Conclusions:
- A self-powered active liner system utilizing EMHRs is feasible for aircraft engine noise suppression.
- The integrated energy harvesting capability enables autonomous operation, reducing reliance on external power.
- The system exhibits robust performance and tunable acoustic characteristics, paving the way for practical ANC applications in aerospace.

