The noise control diagnostic procedure that must be followed in order to claim Best Practicable Means (BPM) using Best Available Technology (BAT). Innovative and award winning environmental noise reduction techniques that reduce typical project costs by c80%. Presented at the CIEH SE regional spring forum, April 2013

1. www.invc.co.uk
Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre: www.invc.co.uk
Environmental Noise ControlEnvironmental Noise Control
Best Practicable Means (BPM)Best Practicable Means (BPM)
Peter Wilson MSc. MIOAPeter Wilson MSc. MIOA
Noise Control Best Practice
noise

2. www.invc.co.uk
Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre
• Award winning noise control technology for fans
 £800k capital and £250k / p.a. running cost savings for Corus
• Best Practicable Means (BPM)
• Best Available Technology (BAT, BATNEEC)
 In many cases, (including centrifugal fans, chiller / HVAC plant, large
stacks, burners / combustion) BPM / BAT often cannot be claimed
without reference to our technology….
• BPM / BAT Evaluation
 Often used as the arbiter of what constitutes BPM / BAT – including
court cases
• Buy Quiet Policy
 De-facto UK standard noise purchasing policy
• Presentations and Training
 Noise training providers for English, Scottish, Irish Environment
Agencies and local authorities

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Noise Control Programme Best Practice
• Noise Control Audit – defining BPM
Analysis of noise features, diagnosis of nuisance elements plus an
engineering evaluation and ranking of the noise control options (costs /
benefits) based on current best practice
• Develop detailed noise control recommendations
Implement as retro-fit on the first of each type of machine / plant
• Develop longer noise management programme – as required
• Buy Quiet – Environmental Policies
• Training
More information and case studies - www.invc.co.uk

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Noise Management - Best Practice
Effective AssessmentEffective Assessment
DNA and Corporate AmnesiaDNA and Corporate Amnesia
noise
Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre: www.invc.co.uk

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Digital Noise Assessment (DNA)
Presenting environmental noise data in an effective and accessible format
Video: www.invc.co.uk/noise/noise-assessment/environmental-noise-assessment/#edna

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Noise Control - Best Practice
Environmental Noise ControlEnvironmental Noise Control
The Approach…The Approach…
noise
Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre: www.invc.co.uk

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Placebo Silencers
psychology…

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Noise Control Best Practice Elements
• Attitude
• BPM Noise Control Audit
 based on detailed diagnosis, objective evaluation linking noise
features to complaints and costing the options and benefits using the
best of current technology
• Implement Noise Control Programme
 based on the results of the audit
• Update Noise Assessment
 Environment Agencies, Local Authorities, residents…
• Buy Quiet management and purchasing policy
This approach reduces typical costs by 50% - 80%...

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Noise Complaints from Industrial Premises
Source: National Physical Laboratory

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Environmental Noise Control is ....
… not just about the overall level…
• Effective noise control must be based on an accurate diagnosis that
relates noise features to subjective impact, not just on assumptions
about overall dB(A).
• Although dB(A) may also be a planning / specification requirement, this
is often a completely separate issue.
• Noise control is an engineering problem that should be solved by
engineering means - at source - wherever practical.
• All the options must be considered, not just the conventional high cost
conventional palliatives of barriers, enclosures and silencers. These
techniques should only be used where it can be proved that there is no
engineering alternative.

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Gauging BAT and BPM – the process
• Identify contributory site noise sources and characteristics
• Rank the sources – both in terms of dB(A) and character
• at complainant, site boundary or other reference position
• Identify all potential noise sources within the dominant
machine / process
• Rank these sources – dB(A) and character
• Establish the noise control options for the dominant
source; repeat for the next most dominant source….
• Draw up a schedule of noise reduction v cost
You cannot claim BPM unless this process has been
followed – period!
non-engineersspecialist

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Source ID and Ranking Techniques
• run each source separately - measure in far field at reference points
 use digital recorders – 2 places at once….
• measure each source close in and predict noise levels (sound power
and propagation)
• use narrow band frequency analysis - compare far field and close-in
signatures
bedroom
window open/shut
grinder 5m
cooling towers 1 / 2 at 2m

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A Misty Morning at the Dairy…
Abatement notice looming. Source
ranking:-
1.Cooling towers (fans + falling
water)
2.Fridge compressors (pipework)
3.Glazed roof breakout
4.Roof-top condensers
Solution
•Cooling tower control system and
floating balls: 15dB(A) reduction
•Local acoustic pipe lagging
•Suspended ceiling
•Condenser panel damping

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Noise Control Options
Techniques by priority and cost effectiveness….
•Control at source
engineering modifications; efficiency improvements
vibration isolation and vibration damping
Only if the above are not practical should you consider…
•Silencing
•Enclosures
•Lagging
•Barriers
•Building modifications
Conventionally, these
high cost techniques
have been the only
measures that are
considered….

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Cost v Noise Reduction – Defining BPM

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Innovative Noise Control Technology
These are some of the latest innovations we use as part of current best
practice in environmental noise control.
• Award winning fan noise control technology
 10% - 20% of the cost, no effect on fan efficiency
• Chiller / HVAC noise control
 <20% of the cost, free cooling unaffected, higher efficiency
• Fan / combustion stacks
 retro-fit, low cost, fast
• Burner / combustion noise
 source control technology – typically <5% of the cost
• Acoustic Camouflage
 psychological electronic silencing

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OG Centrifugal Fans: Corus
…for the most significant development in noise control technology
>£1 million cost saving
Stealth and efficiency case studies: www.invc.co.uk

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Scrap Can Extract and Chopper Fans
modified fan
Problem
Occupational + environmental tonal
noise
Conventional
• silencers, lagging and enclosures
• capital cost > c£35000 +
maintenance costs
BPM Engineering
• internal fan modification reduced
tones by 23dB and overall noise
by 22dB(A)
• cost c £3000 - no maintenance
costs (lasts the lifetime of the fans
despite passage of cans)

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Press Shop Noise Complaints
• £12k wasted on factory end wall treatment,
£65k additional roof improvements planned
(no guarantee) and £40k+ legal fees spent…
• LA employs us to rule on BPM. Power press
modifications costing c£12k solved problem.

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Cement Works Stack Noise Control
• Plant update to improve efficiency
had a disastrous effect on stack
noise, causing complaints over a
wide area.
• Conventional silencing would
have been very costly and would
have caused unacceptable down-
time.
• We designed tuned stack inserts
installed over a weekend.
• Noise reduced by 19dB with no
effect on system efficiency and at
a small fraction of the cost.

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Yoghurt-Based Noise Control - Boiler Burner
16dB tonal noise reduction

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Edgware Road Station – Acoustic Camouflage
• Numerous complaints re track
maintenance noise at night.
• Council insisted people and
equipment should be delivered
from Baker Street, adding £250k
to cost.
• Combining intelligent noise
monitoring, noise control and
acoustic camouflage, we
convinced the council to allow
station access.
• Less than zero complaints! Two
emails of commendation from
previous complainants….

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Abatement Notice – Corrugation Plant
• Abatement notice - £150k quoted
for building mods. - with no
guarantee of success. EHO
suggested our 2nd
opinion…
• Diagnosed corrugator roller tones
and defined BPM.
• Reduced tonal content at source
by 12dB – and eliminated PPE
requirement – for cost of £25k…

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Noise Management - Best Practice
Buy QuietBuy Quiet
Purchasing PolicyPurchasing Policy
noise
Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre: www.invc.co.uk

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Buy Quiet Noise Control
Probably the single most cost effective long term noise control measure
that a company can take.
BUT....
Do not allow your suppliers to spend your money on
noise control without close scrutiny and evidence that
they have followed diagnostic best practice
• most suppliers do not have technical expertise in noise control and
usually buy-in proprietary materials, enclosures, silencers etc and
add these to the cost - regardless of Best Practicable Means using
the best of current technology

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Buy Quiet – insist on BAT
• Thermal oxidiser plant
 Supplier recommended earth berm noise barrier, large silencers, fan
enclosures: c £150k+ - estimated 5dB(A) reduction
 BAT: fan modifications, move dampers, convert duct-work into
silencers: c £30k - 15dB(A) reduction
• Waste recycling plant
• Supplier recommended £1million spent on double-skinning plastic
glazing to give 3dB(A) added attenuation.
• BAT: modify plant inside to reduce noise levels by 5dB(A)+ predicted
c90% less cost and reduced occupational noise levels (no PPE).
• Brown-field housing
• Planners prevented developer building due to industrial noise.
Consultants claimed it would cost too much to sort (barriers etc)
• 11 fans modified at c£45k cost to developer; 200 properties built…

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Remote Control of Noise – second opinion….
video
sound
photos
email
-internet
specialised analysis
BPM
BAT
Costs
database
experience
@
@

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Remote Control of Noise
Romanian power station Laundry fan Ship unloading
Roof-top fans Garage A/C plant Punch press

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Remote Control of Noise
USA Refinery: $1.25m quote for conventional silencers: $0.25m via
our engineering approach – no impact on efficiency, no site visit.
Video at: www.invc.co.uk/noise/noise-control/fan-noise-reduction/#remotefan

30. www.invc.co.uk
Environmental Noise ControlEnvironmental Noise Control
Best Practicable Means (BPM)Best Practicable Means (BPM)
Peter Wilson MSc. MIOAPeter Wilson MSc. MIOA
Noise Control Best Practice
noise
Industrial Noise and Vibration Centre: www.invc.co.uk