A Method for Noise Reduction in Hydraulic Lines

Sound transmission in hydraulic lines is of great importance in many engineering applications. Sound produced from hydraulic pumps may be radiated to the environment, and transmitted between components through flexible hoses, often modelled as shell-type structures. Noise in hydraulic lines filled with flowing fluid is generated through complex fluid-structure interactions. In this project, a conceptual muffler configuration consisting of a set of alternating shell segments was investigated. By varying parameters such as material properties and the hose dimensions, both fluid and structural waves in the hose are attenuated through the creation of stop bands at the operating frequency. In this paper, thick- and thin-shell theories were investigated. It was found that, for low frequencies or long wavelengths, consistent results were obtained from both theories. The transfer matrix method was used in conjunction with Floquet theory in the analysis of the periodic shell system. Preliminary results showed that numerous stop bands appear and substantial attenuation can be achieved. The first two natural frequencies of a shell with and without fluid loading were computed. Their values agree with similar results from other researchers. Finally, several parameters were varied to study their effects on the natural frequencies. These results will be used later in the design of the shell attenuator.