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→Methods of Isolation
Reflecting sound within a room causes sound to lose energy, reducing the amount of sound radiation outside the room. A common method of achieving this is to have reflective material on the outside surface of insulation. However the room shape and size can also have a major impact. The best shape for noise cancellation is a cube. The next best is a room where all dimensions are a multiple of the height, e.g., an engine room that is 7 x 14 x 14 ft.
Dampening sound is achieved by absorbing it in insulation. The depth of insulation should be calculated to absorb the desired wavelengths (e.g., 6-14 infor engine noise). Unless you want to listen to every noise from your neighbour or the adjacent head, make the cabin walls hollow, and insulate them with DFM mineral wool or an aerogel sheet<ref>Aspen Aerogel Inc., http://www.aerogel.com/</ref> or use structural insulated panels (SIP). Aerogel is also an excellent thermal insulator, with a value of around R22 per inch.
Sound waves can be converted to heat energy by adding mass to surfaces. Vibrating a mass absorbs more of the sound energy.