New emerging technologies designed to mitigate noise pollution within industrial facilities

Introduction

As largely stressed in many of our past publications, noise can constitute a problematic issue in industrial facilities, regardless of the scope and the type of the plant. Generally technical risk evaluations disregard noise pollution – which is connected to certain negative consequences such as hearing damages and other incidents that lead to severe workplace injuries and illnesses – as a critical hazard, and so noise control as a clear concern and necessary measure. 

Innovative trends based on emerging technologies (and methodologies) cancompensate for the misevaluation of soundproofing in industrial safety. The present article seeks to illustrate four solutions that are bound to revolutionize the industrial control market in the upcoming years.

 

1. Noise-cancelling windows

The noise pollution originating outside the facilities is probably the trickiest one to be removed. Often it is not possible to identify the source as it occurs for indoor machinery, for instance. A research conducted by a cluster of scholars from Nanyang Technological University of Singapore has found its own way to solve this problem.

The concept revolves around applying a special device – which has been developed by the team taking inspiration from new Apple’s headphones models – to windows and entrances. Such a system will be based on a technology that exploits sensors to detect external noises and counteract the incoming waves, thus obtaining a reduction up to 50%.

 

2. IoT-based noise attenuation

Traditional soundproofing solutions faced several limitations for mere structural reasons. One of the most common inadequacies related to noise-canceling systems is the lack of time between sensing and emitting. Which benefit could IoT technology bring in this sense? According to many academic studies, an IoT-based system can easily identify the harmful waves spreading by using sound sensors that will block incoming noise producing a counteracting noise itself.

 

3. Nano-structured foams

Soundproofing experts commonly regard foam materials as a proven solution that pays back in most of the cases. Yet, research has advanced lately to such an extent that using nanomaterials and nano-structured additions will become in the future a regular proposition. All the solutions of this kind dissipate the sounds by converting the vibrations into heat.

Unlike the standard soundproofing foams, these revolutionized foams will be obtained by injection of nanopowder to create from scratch microscopic pores and channels. This solution allows it to absorb noise from 60% to 100% more effectively than traditional foams.

 

4. 3D-printed Acoustic Rings

Most soundproofing methods work according to some principles of actions. There is generally less space for engineered solutions that deal with passive execution. The 3D-printed metamaterial rings revealed by a group of researchers from Boston University provides a method that redirects noise waves by counteracting vibrations, and they do it thanks to a peculiar design of spiral and circular shape.

 

Conclusion

The solutions presented above can potentially become game-changing assets in the future. Digitalization of assets can be a robust grip for a transitional trend within the sector. However, it is pretty evident that, so far, new developments have been confined into the realm of concepts and empirical findings. 

As long as they do impact the market, Stopson Italiana will continue to stress the importance of evaluating sources of noise and potential techniques using traditional approaches. Thanks to its extensive knowledge and experience, Stopson Italiana is keen to meet all customers’ requirements and supply comprehensive acoustical solutions in order to achieve their soundproofing goals.

 

Stopson Italiana at GasTech

Stopson Italiana exhibits at GasTech 2017 

After the attendance at Offshore Mediterranean Conference (Ravenna), Stopson Italiana is flying to Tokyo for GasTech 2017.

A continuous improvements in Manufacturing and a set of Soundproofing Solutions for Oil & Gas and Power Generation industries. The last technological innovation in Noise Control will be presented within GasTech, the world’s leading gas and LNG conference and exhibition. 

Gastech will be in its 29th edition and 45th year when it arrives at the Makuhari Messe Chiba in Tokyo, Japan from 4 to 7 April 2017. The event will be hosted by the Japan Gastech Consortium made up of Japan’s top 10 natural gas and LNG companies.

Connecting 22000 technical innovators with commercial experts, the conference will draw 2000 conference delegates while its B2B exhibition will provide a platform for over 500 international exhibitors. Its many features and dedicated business networking programmes will also gather over 250 C-level and ministerial VIPs, 150 senior leaders who champion workforce diversity, as well as 250 young energy professionals.

 

GasTech in numbers:

  • 25,000+ visitors
  • 600+ exhibitors
  • 8 country pavilions
  • 4 dedicated Exhibition Zones
  • 2 Product Showcase Theatres
  • dedicated networking zones

Online networking | features and attendees from all sectors | upstream / midstream / downstream