Noise control of an electric power plant causes facing technical issues of all kinds.
Acoustics have, of course, a place of choice, since acoustic powers are involved whose overall levels exceed 135 dB (A) for many equipment constituting such installations, in a context where sound levels below 80 dB (A) at 1 m are often required (for the protection of site personnel), however, sound levels as low as 60 dB (A) or even 50 dB (A) are imposed at the limit of industrial property: the health of the workers and the tranquility of the residents are at stake.
In addition, aeraulics and fluid mechanics are also of paramount importance when designing and constructing ventilation systems capable (while avoiding the transmission of noise) of evacuating the thermal heat associated to the operation of different components whose heating must be controlled, and this with a minimum total pressure loss so as not to degrade the energy efficiency of the installation.
To structural calculations should be given particular care when they refer to lightweight metal structures of the "industrial soundproofing panel on frame" type that must withstand severe site constraints, in relation to wind, snow, and seismic risks.
The dismantling of the devices for noise control of an electric power plant requires a particular design work, because the time needed for disassembly and reassembly of sound insulation panels and silencers (during maintenance operations or in case of failure, when it is necessary to repair or replace some encapsulated equipment) conditions the duration of unavailability of the installation at the origin of production losses eminently undesirable.
On the occasion of the noise control of an electric power plant, the integration of different finishing equipment (lighting, gas leak detection devices, fire fighting systems) often gives the opportunity to take up technological challenges not only in relation to the specificity of some of the functionalities required, but also because of the lack of available space, the complexity of the routing for the connections or the need to comply with local uses, norms and regulations for all or part of the installation.
ITS participated in the noise control of an electric power plant during its construction in the Middle East, the energy production being provided by the operation of a combustion turbine (power over 40MW).
It came to the limitation of the noise emissions of the turbine itself, its associated gas module, and their respective ventilation systems.
The resolution of the technical problems mentioned above was an opportunity to accomplish tasks and to carry out work that was added to an already long list of those relating to similar achievements: the skills acquired previously were used to carry out this project, which will be itself one more feed-back, which will be used during a future project of noise control of an electric power plant.