New Aerogel Could Make Plane Engines Quieter

Aircraft engines are extremely noisy. A Jet engine can produce about 105-decibles when taking off, which is why most airports are located at a considerable distance from residental areas. And despite heavy sound insulation aboard commercial airliners, the roar of the engines can still be heard clearly in the cabin.

However, reseachers at the University of Bath have created a new type of material that can help reduce aircaft engine noise by a considerable amount. The graphene oxide-polyvinyl alcogol aerogel weighs just 2.1kg per cubic meter. It is said to be the lightest sound insulation ever made.

The aerogel’s meringue-like structure is what contributes to its lightness, and allows it to act as an insulator that can be fitted within the engine nacelles without affecting the overall weight. It has been said that this aerogel can reduce noise levels by up to 16 decibles. In layman’s terms, it can cut the sound of a jet engine to a more tolerable level closer to that of a hair-dryer.

This material is being refined to offer improved heat dissipation, which the researchers say can contribute to better fuel efficiency and safety. Passengers aboard planes fitted with such aerogel could expect a more pleasant journey due in part to the lower audible noise levels.

Professor Michele Meo, who led the research, says: “This is clearly a very exciting material that could be applied in a number of ways – initially in aerospace but potentially in many other fields such as automotive and marine transport, as well as in building and construction.”

He added, “We managed to produce such an extremely low density by using a liquid combination of graphene oxide and a polymer, which are formed with whipped air bubbles and freeze-casted. It’s solid but contains a lot of air, so there is no weight or efficiency penalty to achieve big improvements in comfort and noise.”

Though its primarly made for the aerospace industry, the researchers say that it could also be used to create panels for helicopter turbines or car engines. If you’re interested to know more about the manufaturing pricess, the researchers from Bath’s Materials and Structures Centre (MAST) has published the literature in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

Most inventions like this take years to get off the ground, but researcer say that the aerogel can be put to practical use in as little as 18 months. If adopted by major airliners, we could witness a shift in the travel industry.