Design of Generator Acoustic Blanket and its Impact on Generator Cooling Performance

Abstract

Abstract Generator noise is one of the primary concerns in generator designs. The most cost-effective way to deal with the noise issue is to incorporate the reduction of sound pressure level in an early design stage. Once a generator is manufactured, it is often expensive to modify the design for reducing noise levels. For old generators with high sound pressure levels, an effective method to lower the generator noise exposure is to employ acoustic blankets wrapped on the generator external surfaces. However, with the application of acoustic blankets, heat transfer through generator walls can be greatly reduced, leading to the higher generator core temperature and higher generator cooling load. This paper has addressed the design of generator acoustic blankets and its impact on generator cooling performance. The analysis has shown that the influence of acoustic blankets on the generator thermal performance is low or moderate. This suggests that the current acoustic blanket design is feasible. Results from this study have been used to optimize the blanket design.