IP Library › Granted Patent US 12694860
Granted Patent B2
US 12694860 · App. 18/368,056 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Metamaterial acoustic barrier using vortex generation for internal circulation

Inventor: Michael V. Scanlon (Laurel, MD)
Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
G10K11/162G10K11/04
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12694860
App. No.
18/368,056
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Metamaterials that may reduce or modify the spectrum of acoustic energy or power (and/or other types of fluid energy or power) via an array of circulation elements, such as vortex diodes are described. Circulation elements may be arranged in various types of arrays (e.g., serial, parallel, etc.) that may be able to form various differently shaped metamaterial elements (e.g., sheets, boxes, tubes, etc.) appropriate for various different applications.

Claims (39)

1 . A sound modifying metamaterial, comprising:

acoustically coupled circulation elements, each circulation element comprising:

helical circulation volume extending between the inlet and the outlet,

the helical circulation volume being configured to define a continuous sound propagation path.

2 . The sound modifying metamaterial of claim 1 , wherein the array comprises a periodic arrangement of the circulation elements.

3 . The sound modifying metamaterial of claim 1 , wherein the array of circulation elements comprises a plurality of circulation elements arranged in parallel.

4 . The sound modifying metamaterial of claim 1 , wherein the array of circulation elements comprises a plurality of circulation elements arranged in series.

5 . The sound modifying metamaterial of claim 1 , wherein:

the inlet is a plate inlet comprising a set of inlet ports;

the outlet is a plate outlet comprising a set of outlet ports; and

the circulation volume is a plate element comprising a set of tangential jets, wherein each tangential jet is associated with an inlet port from the set of inlet ports, and each tangential jet is fluidically coupled to a round circulation chamber.

6 . The sound modifying metamaterial of claim 5 , wherein the set of inlet ports comprises four cylindrical inlet ports distributed about the plate inlet.

7 . The sound modifying metamaterial of claim 6 , wherein the set of outlet ports comprises a cylindrical outlet port centered in the outlet.

8 . A bi-directional sound modifying metamaterial comprising:

an array of circulation elements, each circulation element comprising:

a first inlet plate comprising a first set of inlets;

a first circulator plate coupled to the first inlet plate;

an outlet plate comprising a set of outlets, wherein the outlet plate is coupled to the first circulator plate;

a second circulator plate coupled to the output plate;

a second inlet plate comprising a second set of inlets coupled to the second circulator plate.

9 . The bi-directional sound modifying metamaterial of claim 8 , wherein the array of circulation elements comprises a plurality of circulation elements arranged in parallel.

10 . The bi-directional sound modifying metamaterial of claim 8 , wherein the array of circulation elements comprises a plurality of circulation elements arranged along a three-dimensional sheet having a set of rows and columns.

11 . The bi-directional sound modifying metamaterial of claim 8 , wherein the first set of inlets comprises a set of cylindrical cavities.

12 . The bi-directional sound attenuating metamaterial of claim 8 , wherein the set of outlets comprises at least one cylindrical cavity.

13 . The bi-directional sound modifying metamaterial of claim 8 , wherein the first circulator plate comprises a circulation volume having a first set of tangential jets, wherein each tangential jet from the first set of tangential jets is associated with an inlet from the first set of inlets.

14 . The bi-directional sound modifying metamaterial of claim 13 , wherein the second circulator plate comprises a circulation volume having a second set of tangential jets, wherein each tangential jet from the second set of tangential jets is associated with an inlet from the second set of inlets.

15 . A method comprising:

evaluating a sound type;

determining a set of vortex diode attributes;

determining a shape of a metamaterial; and

arranging a plurality of vortex diodes in an array along the metamaterial.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining the set of vortex diode attributes comprises:

determining a set of inlet attributes;

determining a set of outlet attributes; and

determining a set of circulation volume attributes.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein each vortex diode from the plurality of vortex diodes is a stacked plate vortex diode having a cuboid shape.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the array comprises a set of rows and a set of columns.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of vortex diodes comprises at least a first set of vortex diodes having a first set of dimensions and a second set of vortex diodes having a second set of dimensions.

20 . The method of claim 15 further comprising determining a set of materials to include in the metamaterial.