Air Compressor Muffler / Silencer - Modular & Iterative Design for Customization / Optimization

Modular and Iterative Design Focused Muffler / Silencer for Air Compressor Intakes:

This is my design of a muffler for my air compressor which uses ½" threaded muffler components. In tackling this project, I reviewed several other existing designs on the internet. I wanted to improve the performance further and so I designed my model with the following features that differentiate this model from others:

1. Customizable

I am not an engineer. My model draws heavily on the other muffler designs I was able to view online - and THOSE seemed to be design influenced based on other muffler designs from other applications. The actual sound suppression in my design is provided by inserts added to a shell casing. The shell accepts dovetailed insert designs such that others who want to design and try additional sound suppression designs can do so and use those within the shell provided by this unit.

In the files provided is a Fusion 360 Design file which provides the outer wall shape and construction planes at the upper and lower limits of the internal dimensions of the housing. There is an optional keyway to set the rotational orientation if that is important for your design. Please get creative and try your own designs and upload them as makes. I am hoping that enough people will try their creativity to really optimize the design for an air compressor.

2. Flexible filaments

An additional benefit of this design is that the internal components can be printed in flexible TPU filaments vs the case. Since the internal muffler design is made in a flexible filament, this allows the internal components to absorb and attenuate greater amounts of sound.

3. Stack-able

You can do one large suppression design or do as I've done in this example and stack multiple designs of sound suppression within one housing. 

Print Information:

The “bottomShell” unit should be printed in something that is temperature resistant as it will be installed into the cylinder head of the air compressor. I printed my unit in Polycarbonate which was super easy in my Bambu X1C.

I printed the “topShell” in PLA as it is not exposed to heat.

I printed my internal modules and the gasket in flexible TPU which I believe contributes to their capacity to attenuate noise.