Tag: Soundproofing hydroelectric plant

Steps that can be taken to help mitigate excessive noise in the hydroelectricity industries

Since the amount of machinery, such as turbines, air compressors, and rotors associated with each generating unit, noise production in Hydroelectric power plants is high.

Introduction

The human body has few resources to defend itself from noise. This alteration can create many effects on the human organism including contemporary stress that changes working behavior, produces low productivity, high rates of absences from work and obviously hearing loss.

Hydroelectric Power Plants generate lots of power and sometimes excessive noise. Among hydropower plants, there are some built more than half a century ago, and the noise was not factored into plant design. To confirm that, most power plants have hard concrete walls that magnify sound. What happens is that energy doesn’t go anywhere, it just bounces off the walls. And that tends to increase the noise levels even way above the source.

To capture the noise profile and target even the subtlest reverberations, Soundproofing experts must perform acoustic surveys using cutting-edge analytical equipment to isolate hazardous noise sources.

Soundproofing Hydroelectric Plant

To mitigate noise, soundproofing experts must analyze and design solutions for treating the noise at the source (if possible), but, due to plant complexity, frequently the plan involves treating the transmission path to the receiver.

While designing soundproofing solutions, maintenance considerations must be taken into account in suggesting noise control techniques for hydroelectric power plants. Materials and methods need to be as maintenance-free as possible and still able to achieve the desired noise reduction level. Used materials also need to meet safety regulations for fire, smoke, and toxicity.

Here are some examples of soundproofing solutions for Hydroelectric stations:

• Damping

Damping is a term used to describe applying a viscoelastic material to a structure to reduce the vibration of that structure. Since noise (acoustical energy) can be generated by a structure that vibrates and is an efficient radiator, reducing the surface velocity due to damping will also reduce noise.

• Sound Absorption

Silencers are the most well-known example for absorbing energy to reduce noise. By adjusting the specifications of the silencers, acoustical energy at certain frequencies will be “trapped” within the silencer body and will dissipate.

• Acoustic Barriers

The concept behind an acoustic barrier is simple. By placing a solid wall (barrier) between the sound source and the receiver, the acoustical energy gets reflected back to the source and will not reach the receiver, thus reducing overall noise. Acoustic enclosures and barriers are ideal for spaces where frequent access is required, yet a significant reduction in the transmission of acoustical energy is desired, such as a turbine pit.

Conclusion

Because of the variety of contributing noise sources in Hydroelectric plants, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Due to the complexity of the acoustical challenges this sector faces, a tailored solution is required to ensure the deployment of effective noise control systems.

Following an initial consultation path with a leading industrial and environmental noise control manufacturer, is the quickest and most effective way to solve complex noise mitigation challenges.

Stopson Italiana has worked internationally with plant processing engineers and their consulting teams to provide accurate and cost-efficient, site-wide noise assessments and mitigation solutions of industrial sectors such as petrochemical complexes both large and small.