Gas-fired power plants are based on the use of combustion turbines whose noise emissions (as well as those of their ancillary equipment) are very important: they should be maintained at an acceptable level for the neighborhood as well as for the employees operating within the perimeter of the plant.
Among the most notable sources of noise, mention may be made of the turbine itself, of course, but also of the gas module, of the injection module or even of sets of duct surfaces, in particular in the upstream part of the exhaust system, where the sound emissions are not attenuated by a silencer ; to all this must be paid a special attention in terms of industrial soundproofing.
In such cases, it is necessary to design and construct soundproofed buildings to limit noise diffusion, with ventilation systems being appropriate to the evacuation of the calorific energy dissipated by the various organs.
ITS will be involved in soundproofing works in a power plant whose production is based on the use of a high-power gas turbine (more than 120 MW in single cycle, over 190 MW in combined cycle) in western Africa.
The goal of the project will be to not exceed the limits for exposure to noise, namely in relation to a sound power level for the turbine of the order of 135 dB (A), which is very wide in terms of frequency spectrum (typically 20 to 20 kHz).
International rules and standards will be applied for the design and construction of the considered buildings, for which removable sub-assemblies, sometimes of large dimensions, will have to be provided for the maintenance operations of the various enclosed hardware in the context of those soundproofing works in a power plant.
In other contexts, ITS may offer other soundproofing works in a power plant (by marketing studies and achievements, including on-site installation when required):
- reduction of noise for intake and/and exhaust of engines and turbomachines (e.g. for combustion turbines by means of silencers, just as for the by-pass chimneys of boilers)
- reduction in the propagation of sounds emitted by equipment intentionally installed outdoors by means of acoustic screens (noise barriers)
- limitation of the sound power of industrial fluids depressurization vents
In this field, the experience of the human resource of ITS and the existing partnerships with specialized manufacturers of world renown are the assurance of an optimized solution, and at the best price, for each problem requiring soundproofing works in a power plant. Spread the word !