An Air Separation Unit (USA) makes it possible to obtain gaseous products such as oxygen and nitrogen, by means of particularly noisy industrial processes, involving very large capacity turbomachinery.
In such a context, compressors and boosters must be the subject of sufficiently efficient soundproofing works:
- with regard to the personnel of such industrial sites likely to operate in the environment close to this equipment (e.g. for the monitoring or maintenance of installations) who must be protected from the risks of hearing trauma resulting from exposure to excessive noise
- with respect to the neighbors, whose tranquility must be preserved (e.g. at short and long distance) by ensuring that the emergence i.e. the difference between the equivalent continuous pressure levels A-weighted of the ambient noise (industrial site in operation) and residual noise (in the absence of noise generated by the industrial site, but measured over the period of operation of the industrial site) remains below specified limits
ITS will take part in soundproofing compressors and boosters of an Air Separation Unit (ASU) in a kingdom in Western Europe.
This noisy equipment, as well as auxiliary equipment (all: very bulky) will be grouped together in a building with high acoustic performance, with a floor area of around 600 m2 with a height of nearly 12 meters.
In order to allow soundproofing works of compressors and boosters compatible with the acoustic requirements of the project, i.e. to get a sound pressure level of less than 67 dB (A) at 1 meter from the facades and roof of the building and its openings, and with other technical requirements, the following will thus be foreseen:
- a metal frame
- an envelope made of modular, removable metal acoustic insulation panels, making it possible to limit on the one hand the amplification of sound levels inside the building and on the other hand the transmission of noise towards the outside; doors and sub-assemblies - even more quickly removable, all: of large size - will be included
- a ventilation system with large-format soundproofed air inlets and air outlets, and with high-flow fans equipped (also) with noise attenuators
The design, manufacture, and documentation (e.g. installation instructions) of the building construction systems intended for the soundproofing of these compressors and boosters shall take into account the possibility of recourse, for on-site assembly, to a local workforce, whose level of specialization and expertise is not known in advance even though obtaining the expected overall acoustic performance on site will make it necessary, on the occasion of such a realization, a careful assembly work of the various building components, with respect to which every detail shall have been the subject of an in-depth optimization study and of a construction without imperfection of any kind.
To secure the achievement of the objective in terms of soundproofing of these compressors and boosters, and to increase the likelihood of works being completed on schedule, it will always be possible to call on a supervisor whose service is always offered (at least: as an option) by ITS when marketing such sound insulation works.
Regarding the durability of the delivered noise-reducing components, it shall be compatible with the marine environment resulting from the location of the installation by the seaside: high-end anti-corrosion protection will be necessary.
As usual, the engineering (acoustics, aeraulics, structural calculations), relating to the hardware to be delivered, will be part of the scope of supply, in the context of a project on the occasion of which ITS and its commercial partners can benefit from their extensive experience in the field of compressors and boosters soundproofing by means of buildings with high acoustic performance.