Abstract:
A matrix or array of elongated tubular members, each member being formed by spirally winding a piece or pieces of material into a generally cylindrical shape, wherein the matrix or array is mounted in an airflow to reduce the noise associated with and/or produced by the airflow.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/613,768, filed on Mar. 21, 2012, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to devices for muffling, controlling, abating, and/or reducing noise, and to methods of making and using such devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a noise reduction device, to elongated members comprising the device, and to the shape and arrangement or configuration of the elongated members. More particularly, the present invention relates to a noise reducing structure comprising a plurality of elongated, tubular members. In some embodiments, the present invention comprises a matrix or array of elongated tubular members, each member being formed from a piece or pieces of spirally wound material, wherein the matrix or array is mounted in an airflow to reduce the noise associated with and/or produced by the airflow. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Facilities and/or operations involving high volume air flows, for example wind tunnels, gas turbine engine test facilities, power generation facilities, industrial or manufacturing facilities, e.g., vehicle manufacturing and testing facilities, or any other facility that houses or uses a prime mover, typically move or flow large or massive amounts of air when in operation. Due to the air flow(s) and/or other processes, they may generate very high acoustic levels inside and outside the facility. Noise created by air flow is, among other mechanisms or causes, the result of shearing within the flow due to high velocity gradient in adjacent flow paths. Typically, air flowing both in and out of these facilities must be treated acoustically to maintain acceptable sound and/or noise levels, e.g. in the surrounding community, and the noise must be mitigated without excessive resistance and while maintaining uniform flow. Typically, sound absorbing or insulating structure(s) are used to absorb acoustical energy from the air flow. Such structures are generally required on both the inlet and exhaust side, and may be referred to and/or known as acoustical baffles. Additionally, facilities such as those mentioned above and/or others also typically require a well behaved interior air flow to maintain stable processes. Acoustical baffles may serve a dual purpose as they reduce noise and assist in maintaining conditioned interior air flow. 
         [0004]    The general approach to the noise problem in facilities or situations such as those mentioned above by way of example may be to integrate a large array of absorptive baffles in inlet and/or exhaust segments. The shape, spacing, and effective length of these baffles are dictated by the specific frequency distribution and amplitude of the source noise as compared to the desired values outside the facility. To mitigate the higher acoustic energy levels long or thick baffles are generally required. 
         [0005]    Historical implementations of acoustical baffles in gas turbine engine test facilities, for example, include installation of many large “slab-type” acoustical baffles. These baffles are in the shape of a rectangular prism and generally have aerodynamic features, such as triangular or hemispherical caps on the leading and trailing edges. The baffles typically have an internal skeletal structure forming partitions for absorptive acoustical material. The sides of the structures are clad with perforated steel material. The baffles are typically suspended vertically in inlet and exhaust flow streams in an orientation with the “slabs” or baffles aligned vertically with the direction of flow. Spacing between baffles and installed lengths are determined by the required aerodynamic and acoustical requirements of the facility, e.g. the test cell. A common problem with this type of baffle is their massive size which makes them very expensive to manufacture and difficult to install. Further, the spacing between baffles forms large segregated channels that partitions the air flow. This partitioning does not provide good mixing within the air flow or the potential for correction and/or adjustment of airflow distribution, if necessary, to produce a final total flow stream with a well behaved and uniform velocity distribution. Implementation of this type of baffle has resulted in, in addition to other undesirable phenomena: noise induced by the baffles themselves, ineffective noise reduction, and re-entrainment of exhaust air due to the significant differences in velocity in adjacent partitions. 
         [0006]    Another difficulty with such known baffles is welding may be commonly employed to attach relatively thin perforated skins to the structures. With high vibration levels, these welds can be sources of failure due to local hardening adjacent to the weld and thermal stresses. 
         [0007]    The use of “square bar silencers” to replace the slab-type baffles is known. Instead of installing rows of a few large slab-type baffles, a matrix or grid of smaller baffles in the shape of a square prism is installed in the air flow. The bars are suspended with the long direction in the direction of air flow. The dimensions of the square section, the length of the bar, and the spacing of bars are dependent on the noise attenuation and aerodynamic requirements of the test cell. The primary benefits of this type of configuration are lower cost of manufacture, installation and servicing, and more ease in “tuning” the performance of the baffle system by modifying the grid for optimum acoustical attenuation. Unlike slab-type baffles, this type of baffle does not partition the air flow so the air can “fill” the volume and normalize to a final flow with a small, uniform velocity distribution. The disadvantage of these baffles is still a high cost to manufacture. The four sided square also increases the surface area that can be installed in a given length of baffles. By reducing the installed length, building geometries are reduced and acoustic outer packaging is reduced. To be effective, the overall surface area of the absorptive baffles must be significant. This requires a large material content that also drives cost. While an improvement over slab-type baffles, they are still typically expensive to manufacture, install and maintain. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The accompanying drawings and this description depict and describe embodiments of devices for reducing noise in accordance with the present invention, and features and components thereof. The present invention encompasses a method of making and using embodiments of said devices. 
         [0009]    Any reference to “the invention” in this application shall not be construed as a generalization, limitation or characterization of any subject matter disclosed herein and shall not be considered to be an element or limitation of the appended claims except if and/or where explicitly recited in a claim(s). With regard to fastening, mounting, attaching or connecting components, unless specifically described as otherwise, conventional mechanical fasteners and methods may be used. Other appropriate fastening or attachment methods include adhesives, welding and soldering, including with regard to an electrical sensor or component, if any. Generally, unless otherwise indicated, the materials for making embodiments and/or components thereof may be selected from appropriate materials such as metal, metallic alloys, ceramics, plastics, etc. Unless otherwise indicated specifically or by context, positional terms (e.g., up, down, front, rear, distal, proximal, etc.) are descriptive not limiting. Same reference numbers are used to denote same parts or components. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a cylindrical bar silencer wherein the bars are tubes or pipes made from a perforated material wound in a spiral winding process. In some embodiments, the tubes are packed with acoustical filler material capable of maintaining its integrity while exposed to a high temperature air flow, e.g. the flow found in gas turbine engine test facilities. In some embodiments, the acoustical filler is a “pillow” of a fibrous material, e.g. basalt wool, encased by a temperature resistant casing that both contains the fibrous material and protects it from the violent air flow that the tubes are exposed to in use. In some embodiments, the ends of the tubes comprise aerodynamically shaped caps made without welding (e.g. by spinning, turning, forming or punching) or with minimal welds and having hardware interfaces for installation on the tubes and/or for the installation or mounting of the tubes in an airflow. 
         [0011]    A silencing device in accordance with the present invention can be made for less cost than known square bar silencers due to the spiral winding or spiral tube or pipe manufacturing method. With this design, tubular baffle bodies can be manufactured in less time. Also, tubular baffle bodies in accordance with the present invention are not subject to the size and/or length limiting factor for square bar silencers, i.e. commercially available brake presses. If a particular application requires a longer square bar silencer, it is necessary to fabricate a single part from multiple parts. This adds to the cost of manufacturing. The length of the tubular bar silencer in accordance with the present invention is practically unlimited due to the manufacturing process. Another advantage is welding of the tubular body is minimal so sources of stress concentration are reduced. These advantages allow for a low cost method to produce purpose designed/built bar silencers. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, the present invention provides a noise reducing arrangement of elongated members. In one embodiment, the elongated members are generally cylindrical, hollow tubes formed by a perforated shell or skin. In some embodiments, some of the elongated members may be other than cylindrical, e.g. oval or semi-circular, including at the periphery of the arrangement. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the present invention provides sound reduction using a cylindrical bar shape to form an acoustic absorber in an aerodynamic test facility wherein the cylindrical bar shape is created by the spiral winding of a metal sheet, the edges of the spirally wound metal sheet being crimped to form a crimped seam or otherwise suitable joined, the ends of the bar shapes carrying a cap or dome, which may have a flat, hemispherical or other aerodynamic shape, for mounting the bar shapes in an array in an airflow of the test facility. The caps or domes may be spun or punched to help minimize fabrication and installation welding, and help provide uniform airflow and a structurally efficient support member. The bar shapes may be spaced relative to one another in the array to optimize the desired level of acoustic absorption. The cylindrical bar shapes may be used in, for example, the exhaust section of an aerodynamic test cell to assure adequate “pumping” of the cell and flow stability and direction, e.g., they may be used in the vertical exhaust stack of a test cell to reduce low-to-mid frequency acoustic noise, wherein they may be adapted to be exposed to higher velocity and hotter flows. They may also be used in air inlets for sound suppression and to help provide flow conditioning, e.g. to redistribute airflow thereby reducing velocity, to provide a stable, vortex-free airflow, etc. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the present invention involves using acoustic baffles fabricated as elongated cylinders formed using a spiral winding or spiral wound fabrication technique resulting in cylinders that may be made in diameters and/or lengths to precisely match the acoustic containment or abatement design, to allow lateral mixing of the air as it flows through the cylinders, and/or to minimize flow velocities through the cylinders. In some embodiments, the cylinders are fabricated from a perforated sheet of metal spirally wound wherein the edges are joined or crimped together to form a continuous seam and an unperforated margin exits at the seam. In some embodiments, an acoustic packing in a pillow is in the cylinder, the size of the packing and/or pillow and the density of the packing and/or the fabric forming the pillow being chosen to provide a precise flow resistance to match the requirements of the acoustic design. In some embodiments, the cylinders are arranged in a matrix to fill a flow field to a level compatible with a compromise of flow resistance and acoustic performance, and the spacing of the cylinders is established to provide acoustic absorption specifically targeting certain frequencies for attenuation. In some embodiments, the cylinders at the edges of the array may be flattened to a selected degree, e.g. oval or semi-circular in shape. 
         [0015]    While multiple embodiments are mentioned herein, still other embodiments and/or aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the accompanying drawings and description, which show and describe illustrative and/or exemplary embodiments of the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIGS. 1 and 2  depict exemplary embodiments of a situation in which an embodiment of the silencer of the present invention may be used, namely exemplary aerodynamic test cells. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A-D  depict aspects and embodiments of a silencer array in accordance with the present invention, along with portions of embodiments of round or cylindrical elongated bar members in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 4A  and B depict embodiments of elongated members in accordance with the present invention arranged in embodiments of an array or matrix in accordance with the present invention, and depict embodiments of how the arrays or matrices may be disposed or positioned in use. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 5A-D  and  6  depict embodiments of a tubular member in accordance with the present invention, namely portions of embodiments of a tube or pipe formed by a spiral winding process. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 5A  and B and  7 A-B depict embodiments of an end cap or dome in accordance with the present invention for use at the ends of elongated members in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]      FIGS. 1 and 2  depict exemplary embodiments of a facility in which a silencer or silencers in accordance with the present invention may be used, namely an aerodynamic testing facility. Typically, such facilities comprise an inlet and conditioning portion  12 , a central test cell portion  14  and an outlet or exhaust portion  16 . A silencer in accordance with the present invention, e.g. an array incorporating generally cylindrical elongated members, may be used in the inlet and exhaust portions in conjunction with or to replace the depicted acoustical baffles  18 , and/or where otherwise appropriate. 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIGS. 3A-D , one embodiment of the present invention comprises an array or matrix  22  of elongated, generally cylindrical members  24  formed by winding a piece or pieces of material, e.g. metal, in a spiral and joining the adjacent edges thereby forming a continuous length of hollow cylindrical tube or pipe. As can be seen, the array or matrix  22  comprises a selected number of members  24 , selectively, suitably arranged. The seam or joint  26  along the edges may be suitable formed, e.g. by crimping, as depicted in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0023]    The members  24  are spaced from each other at a selected distance and are generally parallel. The array or matrix  22  can comprise a selected number of members and selected spacing between members. In some embodiments, a central portion  30  of the array comprises cylindrical members, and a periphery comprises, at least in part, semi-circular and/or half or half-round members  33 . The periphery or a portion thereof may also comprise flattened or partially flattened members, e.g., oval members (not shown). Each member has two ends, each end carrying a cap  34  (see  FIG. 3B ). The caps  34  may be suitably connected to the members  24 , e.g. by welding or other suitable methods and/or structures, and may be adapted to connect or mount the members  24  at one or both ends to a supporting structure in the selected arrangement of members forming the array or matrix  22 . In some embodiments, the caps  34  may be created by being spun, turned, formed or punched, whereby welding or use of other connective hardware may be reduced or minimized. 
         [0024]      FIGS. 3B  and D illustrate examples of how the cylindrical or round bar or pipe members  24  may be supported in an array or matrix  22 , namely by a suitable supports such as support tube or beam  42  and/or retainer tube  44 .  FIG. 3C  depicts an array  22  with the members  24  or array at 50% open, although the spaces and spacing may be selected, depending on design, use, installation and/or performance specifications. While uniform spacing or layout of the members  24  and/or array  22  is depicted, it should be appreciated that spacing and layout may be other than what is depicted depending on design, use, installation and/or performance specifications. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 4A  and B depict embodiments of the members  24  and array  22  of the present invention as they might be arranged or situated in an airflow, e.g. parallel to the airflow in a horizontal installation or a vertical installation. The pattern of and/or spacing between the members  24  can be varied depending on noise abatement design specifications and/or performance characteristics. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 5A-D  depict a portion of an embodiment of a spiral wound tube or pipe member  24  for use in the present invention. The tube  24  is an elongated cylinder which can have a selected diameter and length. It is formed by winding a sheet or sheets of material, e.g. a selected gauge of metal, in a spiral, then joining the adjacent edges.  FIG. 5C  depicts one embodiment of members  24  packed with acoustically absorptive material  38 . An exemplary seam or join of edges  26  is depicted in  FIG. 6 . The seam  26  is created by folding and/or crimping and provides a continuous reinforcing rib. In some embodiments, the pipe can be a dual wall pipe comprising two spirally wound elongated members, one concentrically inside the other. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 7A  and B depict one embodiment of an end cap  34 , wherein the cap  34  is a single piece of suitable material turned, spun, formed or punched to form the desired shape. In this example, a generally hemispherical shape is shown, with a flattened portion  35  at the pole or apex of the cap  34 . A reinforcing disk  37  may be secured to or formed in the cap  34 . The caps  34  may be generally conical or frustoconical, as well as otherwise shaped. The caps  34  may be adapted to various shapes of the members  24 , and/or to design, use, installation and/or performance specifications. 
         [0028]    in this application, embodiments of the present invention, including preferred embodiments, have been presented for the purpose of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustrations of the principals of the invention and its practical use, and to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to a particular use contemplated. The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.