Industrial ventilation systems with duct connections produce sound caused by air moving through the duct, from the fan housing or discharge, and the motor. Based on the system configuration and proximity to people, this sound has potential to be a noise issue within the manufacturing plant or at points surrounding the manufacturing facility.
Addressing sound is typically part of the original air system design, with attenuation measures such as fan inlet or outlet silencers, sound blankets, or noise control enclosures included in the ventilation system. Sometimes, after an exhaust system upgrade or equipment retrofit, sound-related issues become more evident within the work environment.
Because attenuated industrial exhaust systems commonly handle airstreams that are high temperature, erosive, or corrosive, selecting construction materials is essential for long system life. Industrial duct is available in carbon and stainless steel, PVC, and FRP. Noise attenuation equipment, such as silencers, needs to be of like construction.
An Ohio-based chemical manufacturer contracted SysTech to address a noise issue from a scrubber exhaust line. The FRP scrubber was designed to remove hydrochloric acid from the airstream before exhausting treated air to the atmosphere. The associated exhaust fan generated a low harmonic sound that was heard as far as two (2) miles from their facility when atmospheric conditions were wet and cool. The community noise issue resulted in a noise study, where the elevated sound levels were identified in the 125 Hz octave band of the exhaust fan.
Using the noise study as our guide, SysTech designed and supplied an FRP outlet silencer for the scrubber fan, reducing noise levels in the 125 Hz octave band by 15 dB. This silencer allowed the end-user to operate below the threshold that was mandated by a local noise ordinance.
Attenuating noise in an industrial ventilation system is a key part of an industrial ventilation system. If you are experiencing exhaust fan or exhaust system noise, call SysTech to alleviate the problem.
