NUMERICAL ASSESSMENT AND OPTIMAL ALLOCATION PLAN FOR PLANT NOISE CONTROL

Abstract

Inadequate noise simulation, identification, and strategy often cause dreadful plant layout. This unacceptable abatement results in the tremendous cost and inefficiency of noise reduction. To minimize the influence of machine noise along the plant boundary, the advances of optimal allocation planning and appropriate noise abatement on machine are then progressed in this paper. By using a sixteen-station sound monitoring system and the gradient numerical method - EPFM (Exterior Penalty Function Method), the numerical assessment is thus achieved, accordingly. Introducing the optimal design data of equipment’s locations and noise reduction value into the ENM (Environmental Noise Model), a commercial sound simulation package, the predicted noise contour map of the plant is moreover accomplished. The noise check of noise map along plant’s boundary is then furthermore approached to confirm the accuracy and acceptance of the numerical result. Noise control is important and essential in the process plant, where the noise level is restricted by both Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) and local noise regulation. In this paper; we (1) develop a mathematical model for economic plant noise control system, (2) give the proper allocation, (3) simulate the acoustic distribution within the plant, and (4) compare noise levels with local noise regulations. The numerical technique in both adjusting the optimal allocations and searching for the best noise reduction to the machine is fully demonstrated; thereafter, the verification of plant’s noise is attained using ENM. With the simulated results, it is shown that this paper absolutely provides an approachable method, which is very effective, economical and applicable in plant’s noise control with profound insight.