The design of acoustic filters (or mufflers), such as those found in the suction and discharge lines of small refrigeration systems, has been accomplished primarily by trial-and-error evaluation of prototypes. In many cases, the transmission of fluid-borne noise from the compressor to other system components has been reduced to an acceptable level.

The design method presented in this paper employs plane-wave acoustic theory and experimentally determined performance factors to predict the behavior of a specific filter in a specific system.