British scientists have developed an extremely light insulation material. It should be used to insulate aircraft engines in just 18 months, and the noise pollution from jets would decrease massively.
Air traffic is currently under pressure. On the one hand, there is CO2 emissions and, unlike in the case of motor vehicles, there are currently no climate-neutral alternatives in sight for aircraft. Anger about aircraft noise is older than concern about the climate. The aisles of an airport transform large areas into areas in which the residents on the terrace cannot understand their own words. No wonder that airports are rather unpopular and are being subject to ever stricter requirements.
A new material should at least put an end to the noise. Scientists have developed an extremely light material that can be used to insulate aircraft engines, which should reduce noise by up to 16 decibels. The 105 decibels of a starting jet engine are then reduced to the level of a hair dryer, says the study, which was published in the journal “Scientific Reports”.
Enormous Reduction
It should be noted that the reduction of 16 decibels does not correspond to just 15 percent less volume. Depending on the type of noise, an increase of between 6 and 10 dB is perceived as a doubling of the volume. In the example, the volume would drop by two thirds. 105 dB is unbearable in the vicinity, 90 dB is also not pleasant, it corresponds roughly to the noise level of a passing truck. Since the distance to the runways is far greater, the noise pollution at an airport is likely to be well below that of a country road.
The insulation only affects the noise of the turbine and would be particularly noticeable during the start-up process.
Whipped like a meringue
The material is a so-called graphene oxide-polyvinyl alcohol airgel. The special feature is the weight of only 2.1 kilograms per cubic meter, making it significantly lighter than other sound-insulating materials.
The study comes from the “Materials and Structures Center” (MAST) at the University of Bath. Aviation is just one of the possible applications; the material could also save weight in the automotive industry. “This is a very exciting material that could be used in a variety of ways – initially in the aerospace industry, but also potentially in many other areas such as automobile and ship transport, as well as in construction,” says study director Professor Michele Meo.
“We’ve managed to create extremely low density by using a liquid combination of graphene oxide and a polymer that is then formed with air bubbles and freeze-cast. At a very basic level, the technique of whipping egg whites into a meringue be compared – it is solid but contains a lot of air so there is no weight or efficiency penalty to make big improvements in comfort and noise. ”
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