Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 8 hrs ago
A 3D-printed device is designed to absorb sound inside existing pipes
Researchers at La Salle, Universitat Ramon Llull in Spain, developed a device designed to reduce echoes in pipes and ducts.
It is called a sonic black hole, but it is not an astronomical black hole.
Its structure slows sound waves as they travel through it, reducing the sound reflected back.
Earlier designs had to be built into a pipe, while this design can be 3D-printed and inserted into an existing one.
The device could be useful in ventilation, air-conditioning, industrial exhaust and plumbing systems, where sound can bounce around inside pipes.
The research describes the new design, but the information provided does not say what happens next.
Researchers developed a 3D-printable device designed to reduce sound reflections inside pipes.
The device, called a sonic black hole, can be inserted into an existing pipe.
Its design mounts rings on a central rod, unlike conventional versions built into pipe walls.
The device is designed to slow sound waves so they do not return as echoes.
The research was led by engineer Jie Deng of La Salle, Universitat Ramon Llull, in Spain.
- Who
- Researchers including engineer Jie Deng and acoustics engineer Oriol Guasch of La Salle, Universitat Ramon Llull.
- What
- They developed a 3D-printable sonic black hole that can be inserted into an existing pipe to reduce sound reflections.
- When
- The research was described in a paper published in 2026.
- Where
- La Salle, Universitat Ramon Llull, in Spain.
- Why
- To reduce sound reflections in pipes and ducts.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
If the duct were terminated with a sonic black hole, you would essentially hear no echo at all.
In the ideal case, once a wave enters the sonic black hole, it does not come back out.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Device
- 3D-printable sonic black hole
- Installation
- Inserted into an existing pipe
- Design
- Rings mounted on a central rod
- Research lead
- Jie Deng
- Institution
- La Salle, Universitat Ramon Llull, Spain
Sources
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