Acoustic insulation of lightweight partitions combining structural and aerial Acoustic Black Holes
ABHSSYS (Acoustic Black Holes for Silent SYStems, Grant agreement ID: 101227712) is a European Doctoral Network funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), dedicated to advancing innovative solutions for vibration and noise control in lightweight structures (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101227712). The project focuses on the development of Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) technologies, an emerging concept that enables efficient damping of vibrations and sound while reducing mass and material use. Bringing together leading academic laboratories and industrial partners across Europe, ABHSSYS will train a new generation of researchers at the interface of wave physics, acoustics and engineering. Through interdisciplinary research, international mobility and close collaboration with industry, the program aims to accelerate the transfer of ABH technologies towards real-world applications in sectors such as aerospace and energy.
Description :
Lightweight panels inherently suffer from two major limitations: poor low- frequency insulation and a loss of performance around the coincidence frequency. Overcoming these limitations without increasing mass or thickness remains a major scientific and technological challenge. Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) concepts offer a promising approach to address this issue. In both solids and fluids, ABHs rely on a common principle: a progressive reduction of wave velocity concentrates energy in space, enabling its efficient dissipation through intrinsic or added loss mechanisms.
This project proposes to combine this same physical principle across two distinct domains. Structural ABHs act in a solid layer through thickness gradients, while aerial ABHs act in an acoustic layer through spatial gradients. In both cases, slowing down waves leads to energy
concentration and localized dissipation. While both approaches have been studied independently, their combination within a single system remains largely unexplored.
The objective of this PhD is to design and validate a new class of acoustic partitions based on a double-layer concept, combining a structural ABH layer (solid domain) and an aerial ABH layer (acoustic domain). The originality of the approach lies in applying the same wave
control principle to two different physical media, and in exploiting their coupling to overcome the limitations of single-panel partitions. The work will involve analytical and numerical modeling of wave propagation and transmission, the design of hybrid ABH architectures, and
the optimization of their spatial distribution. Prototypes will be manufactured and experimentally validated.
More information on the link below.