Thin plasma emitters: a revolution in noise reduction. Free Technical Library News

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Thin plasma emitters: a revolution in noise reduction

13.07.2023

The Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland has granted Sonexos a license to commercialize its active noise reduction technology using thin plasma emitters, which researchers have been working on for several years.

The EPFL research team has developed an ultra-thin active noise cancellation system using plasma emitters that ionize the air. Layers 17 mm thick are able to block noise at a frequency of 20 Hz as effectively as a 4-meter wall.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) is based on measuring sound waves with a microphone and creating anti-waves that counteract the sound. ANC works well in headphones and cars where the acoustic environment is relatively controllable.

ANC can also be applied indoors, but it requires a large number of speakers or a massive wall to suppress low-frequency, long-wave noise. What if the radiators were ultra-thin sheets and not massive diffusers? The EPFL Acoustic Group team has developed a noise reduction system based on ion plasma radiators, which are light, thin, easy to manufacture and economically affordable.

Emitters work like ion thrusters: they ionize the surrounding air using an electric field and create a plasma of positively and negatively charged particles. These ions are then magnetically accelerated and repelled by the surrounding air, creating a counter pressure. By changing the voltage, you can instantly adjust the amount of air pushed. Plasma speakers do not claim to compete with conventional speakers in sound quality, but they are very sensitive to voltage changes, due to the absence of a heavy membrane.

Previously, ion emitters have successfully demonstrated their effectiveness in suppressing high frequencies, but over the past few years, researchers have been able to achieve blocking and low sounds. The frequency of 20 Hz is the lower limit of human hearing, and the wavelength at this frequency is 17 meters. Ordinary acoustic materials would need about 4 meters in thickness to dampen this wave. However, the plasma layer can completely suppress this wave only with a thickness of one thousandth of the wavelength - 17 mm.

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