Numerical optimization on plant noise control by gradient method

Abstract

Noise control is important and essential in a process plant, where the noise level is restricted by the Occupational Safety and Health Act. However, noise control for individual equipment is the only concern in most situations. When considering the overall noise control within the plant boundary, the inadequate noise simulation, identification, and strategy often cause deprived plant arrangement. These improper abatements often result in significant cost and ineffectiveness of noise reduction. In this paper, noise control on a process plant with one to five equipment is introduced. To minimize the influence of machine noise along the plant boundary, the studies of optimum allocation planning and appropriate sound transmission loss of acoustic hood added to machine are then presented. Through various multi-station sound monitoring systems and gradient numerical method—exterior penalty function method (EPFM), the numerical assessment is consequently developed. Besides, an accuracy check of the optimization model with single noise is pre-run and found good before EPFM optimization. It is shown that the optimum solution can be reached exactly through the proposed technique. A numerical technique to adjust the optimum allocations and to search for a suitable acoustic hood to the machine is first demonstrated; thereafter, the effect of using different monitoring systems with respect to the same equipment is discussed. This study definitely contributes to the effective control of plant noise, being an economical technique.