(34d) Noise Control in Ethylene Plants

As the global demand for Ethylene keeps rising, plant capacities keep increasing. These new plants require larger equipment, which brings on numerous engineering and design challenges. Noise control in the ethylene plants is one such challenge that requires an engineered approach and early planning to achieve OSHA and community noise criteria. For a new ethylene or similar petrochemical plant, this article identifies major noise sources and some of the latest noise control treatments currently available. With a help of an acoustic model, equipment and piping noise level allocation studie can be performed. The acoustic model also evaluates the effectiveness of various noise control methods and helps to develop cost effective solutions.