Boeing is developing a "fluidic wallpaper" that uses compressed air to block noise and could be used to shield sensitive satellites inside rockets from launch noise and vibration, and keep an aircraft cabin quiet, writes Rob Coppinger.
The fluidic wallpaper is about 6.3mm (0.25in) thick and uses compressed air between its smart material layers to counterbalance oscillating pressures that generate the low-frequency noise emitted by propellers, jet engines and heavy-duty diesel engines. It is being developed by Boeing's Phantom Works.
Phantom Works technical fellow Anders Andersson says the system could be "a breakthrough in acoustics technology. We're in the early development stages and there's a lot of testing to be done." He says fluidic wallpaper will be lighter than traditional soundproofing materials and inexpensive to produce.
Source: Flight International
