Dynamic Schwarz Meta-Foams: Customizable Solutions for Environmental Noise Reduction

Abstract

In an era marked by increasing environmental challenges affecting human well-being, traditional acoustic materials struggle to effectively handle the diverse and multi-frequency nature of harmful environmental noises. This has spurred a demand for innovative acoustic metamaterial solutions by utilizing sustainable design strategies. This research introduces tunable Schwarz metamaterial capable of transforming into a soft meta-foam to solve the complex problems of varying environmental noises. This study primarily focuses on adjusting single to multiple sound-blocking bandgaps mechanism using a multi-layered approach, incorporating the Schwarz P-type triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) and its elective soft foam counterpart, known as tunable Schwarz meta-foams (TSMF-x). The tunable design parameters of the unit cell, multi-layered TPMS, and soft programmable TSMF-lichen version are comprehensively explored including a fire-safety test. The results demonstrate these enhanced flame retardant meta-foam families have the potential to be used for mid-to-high-frequency environmental noises in industrial equipment and smart homes for sustainable architecture and environmental health applications. The parametric design of an alternating unit cell of Schwarz primitive triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) metamaterial can offer the capability to create both single tunable bandgap and multiple bandgaps. This versatility makes it suitable for addressing a wide range of varying environmental noises, spanning from industrial noise to the disruptive sounds experienced by building occupants in smart homes or workspaces. image