Design of a Kelvin cell acoustic metamaterial

Advancements in 3D print technology now allows the printing of structured acoustic absorbent materials at appropriate microscopic scale and sample sizes. Optimisation of parameter sets associated with a Kelvin Cell structure have the potential to develop various metabehaviours in the associated acoustic responses. The repeatability of the fundamental cell unit also provide a route for the development of viable macro models to simulate built up structures based on detailed models of the individual cell units. This paper describes a process to model, print and test of such a sample. Manufacturing restraints will initially guide the optimised design. Micro to macro models based on a single cell structure which are cross checked against a full visco thermal acoustic finite element model of the individual cell. A macro model based on a reduced lossy helmholtz system is then used to predict the absorptive response response under normal incidence and checked against a manufactured sample under experimental test