Investigation on the Impact of a Metamaterial Solution for the Mitigation of Noise Radiated by a Ship Panel

Underwater noise radiated (URN) from ships represents a growing concern for the international community. The Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) combined with viscoelastic materials (VEMs), is a promising new solution for mitigating URN. In this paper, we present the characterization of an acoustic black hole for marine applications. The proposed procedure combines a method for the evaluation of VEM properties of high-damping materials and the analysis of the parameters that control the ABH performance. The results show the effectiveness of the ABH in mitigating low-frequency (50 – 200 Hz) ship’s radiated noise.