Numerical studies on venting system with multi-chamber perforated mufflers by GA optimization

Research on new techniques of perforated silencers has been well addressed and developed; however, the research work in shape optimization for a volume-constrained silence requested upon the demands of operation and maintenance inside a constrained machine room is rare. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to not only analyze the sound transmission loss of a multi-chamber perforated muffler but also to optimize the best design shape under space-constrained condition. In this paper, both the generalized decoupling technique and plane wave theory are used. The four-pole system matrix in evaluating the acoustic performance of sound transmission loss (STL) is also deduced in conjunction with a genetic algorithm (GA). To demonstrate the precision of the tuning ability in a muffler, various targeted pure tones are proposed in numerical cases. Results reveal that the maximal acoustical performance precisely occurred in the desired frequency. Furthermore, a noise reduction with respect to full-band exhausted noise emitted from a diesel engine is also introduced and assessed. To achieve a better optimization in GA, several test parameter values were used. Before a GA operation can be carried out, the accuracy of the mathematical models have to be checked by experimental data. The optimal result in eliminating full-band noise reveals that the overall noise reduction of a multi-chamber muffler can achieve 68 dB under space-constraint conditions. Consequently, the approach used for the optimal design of the STL proposed in this study is indeed easy, economical and quite effective.