A sound attenuator, or duct silencer, sound trap, or muffler, is a noise control acoustical treatment of Heating Ventilating and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) ductwork designed to reduce transmission of noise through the ductwork, either from equipment into occupied spaces in a building, or between occupied spaces.[1][2]
In its simplest form, a sound attenuator consists of a baffle within the ductwork. These baffles often contain sound-absorbing materials. The physical dimensions and baffle configuration of sound attenuators are selected to attenuate a specific range of frequencies. Unlike conventional internally-lined ductwork, which is only effective at attenuating mid- and high-frequency noise,[3] sound attenuators can achieve broader band attenuation in relatively short lengths.[2] Certain types of sound attenuators are essentially a Helmholtz resonator used as a passive noise-control device.