Acoustical Enclosures for Generators

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Author Message T.J. Simons, CSI, CCS Intermediate Member Username: tsimons Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Monday, September 12, 2005 - 10:42 am:    I'm working on a Central Plant at a hospital in California. The plant currently has one emergency generator in an open areaway; part of the project scope is to add 2 more generator sets adjacent to the existing, to serve an expansion of the hospital. Here's my problem: Our electrical engineer has raised concerns about access to the generators once all 3 are in place-it will be a tight fit working around the acoustical/environmental enclosures required for sound attenuation and weather protection of the generator sets. They will be located in an open areaway (approximately 20'-0" below grade, with a 7'-0" high CMU screen wall). These are diesel engine type generator sets, and are loud even with a muffler. My question is, could we get a manufactured acoustical enclosure big enough to accommodate all 3 gen sets, while allowing access to each unit for maintenance? Can anyone point me to some manufacturers? Dave Metzger Senior Member Username: davemetzger Post Number: 133 Registered: 07-2001 Posted on Monday, September 12, 2005 - 11:00 am:    We have specified acoustical barriers for rooftop cooling towers. They consisted of weather-resistant steel-faced panels, sound-absorptive on one side, for application to separate steel-framed walls. And so they would be fabricated to the specific dimensions and layout of each project. Ou basis-of-design product was Noishield Type by Industrial Acoustics Company (IAC). Similar products are made by Aeroacoustic Corp.; Empire Acoustical Systems; and Kinetics Noise Control. Doug Brinley AIA CSI CDT CCS Senior Member Username: dbrinley Post Number: 109 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Monday, September 12, 2005 - 11:29 am:    I might be talking out of the side of my face here, but I think putting three generators in a 'massive' acoustical enclosure is a bad idea. A large volume of air inside an (even bigger) enclosure has the makings for a really big 'subwoofer'. All you'd need are ports with diagraphms in both ends. Thump thump. Since they are 'down in a hole' already, I think you need to stick with the generator manufacturer's enclosures and leave it at that. Maybe the effort should go to select generators that are of a different configuration or size. (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Monday, September 12, 2005 - 11:20 am:    I have no background as a specifier with acoustical enclosures, but as a homeowner have dealt with a noisy one at a neighboring highrise building. The enclosure type Dave Metzger talks about seems to be what you need. We ran across Kinetics Noise Control in our research. Here are some links we used when we dealt with our noisy neighbor, which you might find useful: Keith Lane, P.E., “Power Quality and Generators – Part 3: Complying with the Codes and Controlling Noise”, Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine, January 2005. http://www.csemag.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA500297 Kinetics Noise Control, Inc., Noiseletter No. 28, “Quiet that Noisy Generator with Kinetics Noise Contol Silencers, Mufflers and Enclosures”, February, 2003. http://www.kineticsnoise.com/vibronproducts/pdf/noiseletter28.pdf “Reducing Noise in Generator Set Applications”, Cummins Power Generation, Inc., 2004. http://www.cumminspower.com/library/appengineering/t-030_p132-139.pdf Anonymous   Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 05:42 pm:    In high rise condo's -- there is a fire resistive design that needs to be addressed. Make sure the companies you have mentioned are rated in the assemblies that are in the building.