Noise

Abstract

The term “noise” refers to a loud, unpleasant, and disruptive sound that can cause undesirable psychological effects, such as depression and irritability. It is the responsibility of safety and instrument engineers in the oil and gas industry to study noise at various types of valves in offshore platforms, refineries, and petrochemical plants in order to minimize its negative impact. There are two negative effects of noise: acoustic fatigue and hearing damage. Control valves and pressure safety valves (PSVs) are among the valves responsible for generating noise. In this chapter, the calculation of acoustic fatigue at the source of noise, the distance from the source of noise, and the accepted limit of sound power are discussed. Mach number is defined in fluid mechanics as the ratio of fluid velocity to sound velocity at a given temperature. Based on the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard, this chapter describes the prediction and measurement of noise fluids in control valves, including aerodynamic and hydrodynamic noise.