TY - JOUR
T1 - A metamaterial-based interface for the structural resonance shielding of impact-driven offshore monopiles
AU - Azevedo Vasconcelos, Ana Carolina
AU - Valiya Valappil, Sabiju
AU - Schott, Dingena
AU - Jovanova, Jovana
AU - Aragón, Alejandro M.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Underwater noise resulting from the monopile driving process can cause severe damage to marine wildlife, such as hearing injury, behavioral disturbance, or even death. Although current noise-attenuation techniques used in this process have shown a significant noise reduction at high frequency ranges, mitigating low-frequency noise is still extremely challenging. To address the problem, here we propose an elastic metamaterial-based structure composed of single-phase resonant structures. The proposed structure, which we call a meta-interface, is introduced between the monopile and the hammer and is used to remove energy from the input signal associated with high noise levels. To that end, we first identify the frequency ranges associated with high sound pressure levels, which were shown to be related to the monopile's eigenmodes. Then we design the meta-interface's periodic unit cells so that the elastic/acoustic waves at identified frequency ranges are attenuated. A meta-interface is then realized by replicating the unit cell along the monopile wall (matching the thickness) to form a ring-shaped layer, and then by stacking up these concentric layers. A frequency analysis of the pile driving system with the meta-interface shows that the new noise levels attain a significant attenuation in frequency ranges lower than 1000Hz. This demonstrates a novel solution for the low-frequency underwater noise issue during the hammering of offshore monopiles.
AB - Underwater noise resulting from the monopile driving process can cause severe damage to marine wildlife, such as hearing injury, behavioral disturbance, or even death. Although current noise-attenuation techniques used in this process have shown a significant noise reduction at high frequency ranges, mitigating low-frequency noise is still extremely challenging. To address the problem, here we propose an elastic metamaterial-based structure composed of single-phase resonant structures. The proposed structure, which we call a meta-interface, is introduced between the monopile and the hammer and is used to remove energy from the input signal associated with high noise levels. To that end, we first identify the frequency ranges associated with high sound pressure levels, which were shown to be related to the monopile's eigenmodes. Then we design the meta-interface's periodic unit cells so that the elastic/acoustic waves at identified frequency ranges are attenuated. A meta-interface is then realized by replicating the unit cell along the monopile wall (matching the thickness) to form a ring-shaped layer, and then by stacking up these concentric layers. A frequency analysis of the pile driving system with the meta-interface shows that the new noise levels attain a significant attenuation in frequency ranges lower than 1000Hz. This demonstrates a novel solution for the low-frequency underwater noise issue during the hammering of offshore monopiles.
KW - Acoustic/elastic metamaterials
KW - Noise attenuation
KW - Resonance shielding
KW - Single-phase unit cell
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85178664752&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.117261
DO - 10.1016/j.engstruct.2023.117261
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85178664752
SN - 0141-0296
VL - 300
JO - Engineering Structures
JF - Engineering Structures
M1 - 117261
ER -