Reflected Wave Reduction Based on Time-Delay Separation for the Plane Array of Multilayer Acoustic Absorbers

Area of Science:

• Underwater acoustics
• Materials science
• Control engineering

Background:

• Low-frequency noise and signal reflection pose challenges in underwater acoustic applications.
• Multilayer acoustic absorbers offer potential for noise attenuation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a control technique for reducing acoustic signal reflection using a plane array of multilayer acoustic absorbers.
• To investigate the effectiveness of active control for reflected sound reduction.

Main Methods:

• A plane array of multilayer acoustic absorbers was designed, incorporating piezoelectric transducers, polyvinylidene fluorides, and acoustic windows.
• Time-delay separation was employed to distinguish incident and reflected acoustic signals.
• Experimental comparison between passive and active control strategies was conducted.

Main Results:

• The proposed time-delay separation technique effectively reduced reflected acoustic signals.
• Active control demonstrated superior attenuation rates compared to passive control.
• Experiments confirmed the efficacy of the smart skin absorber array.

Conclusions:

• The developed control technique significantly reduces underwater acoustic reflections.
• The plane array of smart skin absorbers is suitable for diverse underwater acoustic applications.
• Active control strategies enhance the performance of acoustic absorbers.