SUMMARY

Noise in a fluid system can be treated with a prototypical liner-style suppressor, an expansion chamber which includes an internal annulus of syntactic foam. A syntactic foam liner consists of host material with hollow microspheres which collapse under pressure to add compliance to the suppressor. The liner effectively increases the transmission loss of the suppressor, or ratio between inlet and outlet acoustic energy. Currently, liner-style suppressors are not commercially available. This study investigates the integration of solid liner material within suppressor shells while also analyzing the effect of flow-smoothing diffusors on the transmission loss of the suppressor. The diffusors function to center the liner within the device, while reducing the potential for turbulence-induced self-noise. The diffusor may also impact the longevity of the liner, by reducing mechanical erosion. The results of the study provide additional insight to the commercial viability of the liner-style suppressor.