To tackle noise pollution, experts make beehive-like panels

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 11

An Indian researcher has fabricated paper honeycomb and stronger polymer honeycomb structures into sound-absorbing panels that can dissipate acoustic energy to low-frequency ranges.

The technology can be used in building acoustics and as an environmental noise control solution. Many traditional materials have been found to be good at controlling higher frequencies.

However, natural beehives are known to efficiently control high and low frequencies because of their geometry.

“It has been found during theoretical analysis and experimental investigation that beehives dissipate noise due to conversion of acoustical energy into vibrational energy. This vibrational energy is dissipated in the form of heat due to wall damping property. Mimicking this property as an engineering solution could offer a cost-effective method for controlling noise pollution,” said B Venkatesham of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, IIT, Hyderabad.

The research team fabricated thin and strong acoustic panels mimicking the natural beehive property.

“We used a biometric design methodology. The methodology involved understanding the physics of bee hive sample’s acoustic energy dissipation and then mimicking its design. The team developed a mathematical model and optimised parameters, then fabricated the test samples using systematic, controlled parameters. Subsequently, fabrication of a large sample was done,” researchers said.