Theoretical and Experimental Analyses on the Sound Absorption Coefficient of Rice and Buckwheat Husks Based on Micro-CT Scan Data

Abstract

In this study, the sound absorption coefficients of rice and buckwheat husks were estimated. Computed tomography (CT) images were processed to determine the circumference and surface area of voids in the granular material, and the normal incident sound absorption coefficients were derived. In addition, the tortuosity, which expresses the complexity of the sound wave propagation through the structure, was measured for each material. The theoretical sound absorption coefficients were then compared to the measured sound absorption coefficients with and without consideration of the tortuosity. A correction factor was used to bring the surface area of the granular material closer to the actual surface area and observed that the tortuosity obtained theoretical values that matched the trend of the measured values. These results indicate that using CT images to estimate the sound absorption coefficient is a viable approach.