Optimization and experimental study of low-frequency sound absorption performance for modified sonic black hole
Abstract
The design of a sound absorber with simultaneous broadband and low-frequency absorption is still difficult to achieve. Most existing noise reduction techniques target only a single aspect of the acoustic performance. The difficulty lies in the inherent trade-off between compact size, broad bandwidth, and effective low-frequency absorption. To overcome these issues, this study proposes a modified sonic black hole (SBH) to enhance the conventional SBH structure's low-frequency broadband sound absorption capabilities. By introducing the concept of equivalent length, this study adjusts only the opening area of the SBH structure without increasing its length, thereby equating the modified SBH to an original SBH with a longer geometric length. This equivalent extension enhances the coupling between the structure and low-frequency sound waves, thereby improving the low-frequency sound absorption performance. Theoretical modeling and simulation analysis demonstrate that reducing the SBH inlet diameter (or ring maximum inner diameter) can effectively improve the SBH low-frequency sound absorption effect. Furthermore, experimental comparisons of modified SBHs under different inlet diameters reveal that reducing the diameter from a fully open (95 mm) to 30 mm reduces the SBH’s first natural frequency from 615 Hz to 225 Hz, demonstrating a marked improvement in low-frequency sound absorption performance. The proposed modified SBH concept provides a promising solution for low frequency and broadband noise control.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ziyan Chen, Qibo Mao, Lihua Peng

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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