The physical and acoustical

characterization of porous materials

for aeronautical applications
Paolo Bonfiglio – Francesco Pompoli
Multifunctional Composite Structures for
the Acoustic Performance in Transport Applications

Venegono Superiore - May 19th 2009

 Sound absorption in the nacelle

Acoustics panel

Porous foam
 The carbon foam

Courtesy of
 Understanding porous media
A porous material is a solid permeated by an interconnected
network of pores filled with a fluid.

Fibrous and Porous Foams Rocks and Soils

Human bone Absorbing Plaster

 Understanding porous media
When we deal with “rigid framed” (i.e. the skeleton is
not moving for aerial excitation) porous material
without mean flow

Acoustical Propagation of sound

characterization waves within medium

Investigation of the
Physical
internal structure of the
characterization
medium
 Understanding porous media
Acoustical characterization
It can be proved that in the approximation of rigid
framed porous materials
Equivalent sound velocity and density
(or equivalently some other complex quantities) are
able to fully describe the sound propagation within any
layer of porous material.

It is possible to use standard equations (i.e. Helmoltz

eq.) with modified values of density and sound velocity,
which are complex and frequency dependent!!!

This approach is known as “equivalent dissipative fluid

model”.
 Understanding porous media
Acoustical characterization
Transfer matrix – 3 mics technique

⎛p⎞ ⎛T11 T12 ⎞ ⎛ p ⎞

⎜v ⎟ =⎜ ⎟⎜ 0 ⎟
T T
⎝ ⎠x =0 ⎝ 21 22 ⎠ ⎝ ⎠x =d

cos −1T11 T12 c = ω ⋅ d

ρ = cos −1T11 F. Pompoli, P. Bonfiglio, Tecniche avanzate
ω ⋅d T21 di caratterizzazione fisico-acustica di
materiali porosi (2008)
www.materiacustica.it
 Understanding porous media
Physical characterization
Some physical quantities have been chosen by numerous
authors to model the processes taking place within
porous media.

Airflow resistivity σ

Open porosity φ

Tortuosity α∞

Viscous and thermal

characteristic lengths Λ and Λ′
 Understanding porous media
Physical characterization
There exist direct measurement methods of geometrical
quantities

σ φ α∞ - Λ - Λ′
Measurement of Measurement the Measurement the
pressure drop when the volume of the air sound velocity within
material is crossed by within porous media materials saturated by
flow (0.5 mm/s) by using isothermal two different gases
compression (i.e. Air and He) at
very high frequencies
 Understanding porous media
Because of the difficulties in measuring directly some
(or all) of these quantities, it is possible to use inverse
strategies for calculating them once some acoustical
parameters are experimentally known.

ρ - c
Z s - αn

σ , φ , α∞ , Λ and Λ′
F. Pompoli, P. Bonfiglio, Tecniche avanzate di caratterizzazione fisico-acustica di materiali porosi (2008)
www.materiacustica.it
 Understanding porous media
Once we have got a complete acoustical and physical
characterization of the material we can link
geometrical quantities and acoustical performances

Johnson and Champoux and Allard model:

σ ⋅φ 4iα ∞ 2ηρ0ω
ρ = α ∞ ρ0 + 1+
iω σ 2 Λ 2φ 2
κ ⋅ P0
K= −1
⎡ 8η i ρ 0ω N p Λ ′ 2 ⎤
κ − (κ − 1) ⎢1 + 1+ ⎥
⎢⎣ i ρ0ω N p Λ′ 16η ⎥⎦
2

If we get a reliable set of physical parameters we do

not need to measure acoustical quantities anymore!!!
 Application to Carbon foam
Carbon foam: Acoustical properties
Equivalent velocity
200
180
160
140
120 Real part
[m/s]

100
80 Imaginary part
60
40
20
0
100 1000 Frequency [Hz] 10000

Equivalent density
100
80
60
40
20
[m/s]

0
-20
-40
Real part
-60
-80 Imaginary part
-100
100 1000 Frequency [Hz] 10000
 Application to Carbon foam
Carbon foam: Physical properties

σ [Ns/m4] φ [-] α∞ [-] Λ [μm] Λ′ [μm]

48951 0.61 1.68 58 218

Direct measurements Inverse determination

 Application to Carbon foam
Prediction of normal incidence sound absorption
coefficient by using JCA model and physical
parameters Normal incidence sound absorption coefficient
1
0.9
0.8 Measurement
0.7
Model
0.6

α n[-]
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
100 1000 10000
Normal incidence sound absorption Frequency [Hz]
coefficient
1
0.9 Model - 11mm thick
0.8
Model - 5mm thick
0.7
Model - 20mm thick
0.6
α n[-]

0.5 Model - 11mm thick + 10mm air gap

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
100 1000 Frequency [Hz] 10000
 Application to Carbon foam
We can model (FEM, BEM) any 3D shape of the carbon
foam by using equivalent dissipative fluid model
 Application to resonating systems
Finally, we are investigating the possibility to use an
acoustical approach for predicting the acoustical
performances of perforated sheets.
Usually it is used an analytical approach based on
impedance “jump” due to the perforations.
Here it is used JCA model:
For each hole:

⎛ 2d ⎞ 2ηωρ0
σ =⎜ + 4⎟
r ⎝ r ⎠ 2φ d
d
φ =1
Perforated sheet
is modeled as a α∞ = 1
porous medium
Λ = Λ′ = r
 Application to resonating systems
FEM model of a silencer

Porous material: polyester fiber, Perforated panel: modeled as a

modeled as a fluid with ρ and c dissipative fluid having analytical
measured by using 3mics approach physical quantities (function of the
radius and porosity)
 Application to resonating systems
Transmission Loss in a plane wave tube

Normal incidence Transmission Loss

20

15 Mesurement
FEM
TL [dB]

70 80 90 dB

10

0
100 1000 Frequency [Hz] 10000
 Conclusions
• An (acoustical) equivalent dissipative approach has
been discussed in order to investigate sound
propagation and internal structure of porous media for
aeronautical applications;

• Test rigs and procedures for measuring acoustical and

physical quantities have been presented;

• The apprach has been pplied to porous carbon foam

and perforated panels.

• It is possible to modify the approach to account non

linear effects (high pressure excitation), mean flow,
temperature, elastic nature of the frame
Thank you for your attention

paolo.bonfiglio@materiacustica.it

www.materiacustica.it