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Four Types of Industrial Silencers Used

for Noise Control
by Joe Lahbabi | Aug 6, 2019 | Uncategorized

Noise-induced hearing loss is an extremely prevalent health concern for individuals

who work in the manufacturing industry. In fact, over 40 million people in the United
States currently experience some form of hearing loss. Among these individuals,
nearly 10 million Americans suffer from hearing problems caused by noise. This
condition is often caused by repeat exposure to loud noises, particularly those
that exceed 85 decibels, which is common in manufacturing facilities. To stave off the
harmful effects noisy machinery and loud manufacturing floors have on employees,
many manufacturing facilities are turning to industrial silencers to reduce this risk
and aid in acoustical attenuation. To better understand the different types of
industrial silencers, and the way they work to reduce dangerous noise levels, we
must first understand the basics of acoustic attenuation.

Understanding Acoustic Attenuation

Acoustic attenuation is the weakening of sound as it travels and passes through
different materials. Sound waves are distributed, and thereby diminished, in two
main ways. The first way this happens is through absorption. Acoustic
absorption uses porous materials to absorb sound waves and transform sound
energy into heat energy that is then dispersed throughout the atmosphere. The
second element of acoustic attenuation is scattering. Scattering redirects sound
waves away from their original path and sometimes reflects the waves back toward
the original noise source. Acoustic attenuation combines these two methods to
effectively reduce noise volume and perception. The industrial silencer types listed
below use a combination of scattering and absorption to attenuate sound in an
industrial setting.  

Industrial Silencers and Applications

Reactive Silencers
Similar to the silencers used for automobile exhaust systems, reactive silencers are
also commonly known as mufflers. Like car mufflers, industrial reactive silencers are
designed with multiple chambers and perforated tubes. These perforations redirect
the sound waves and reflect them back toward the source of the sound and
effectively reduce the volume of the noise we hear. These silencers do not contain
any acoustic insulation and attenuate sound primarily by scattering and reflecting the
sound waves. One main benefit of reactive silencers is that they are relatively easy to
clean because they do not contain fibrous materials, and they create negligible
pressure loss. These silencers are also typically quite small, which makes them
suitable for engines and exhaust systems. Reactive silencers are commonly used for
fixed speed machinery, such as generators and blowers. They are best used for
machinery that produce pure tones and noises that range from low to medium
frequency.

Absorptive Silencers
Unlike reactive silencers, absorptive silencers primarily attenuate sound by absorbing
sound energy, rather than reflecting it. These silencers use fibrous and porous
packing materials to absorb sound waves and dampen the sound volume. As the
sound waves travel through the insulative materials, the sound energy is partially
transformed to heat energy, which is then dispersed through the air. The thickness of
the acoustical lining used in absorptive silencers varies and designed to meet specific
project requirements. The thickness of the lining is often dependent on the
predominant frequency of the noise. Absorptive silencers are particularly effective
for high noise frequencies between a range of 500 to 8,000 Hz. They can also be used
for frequencies outside this range, though adjustments to the thickness of the
absorptive lining is required to provide the desired level of attenuation.

Since absorptive silencers rely on acoustic absorption rather than reflection of sound
waves, they require minimal airflow to properly attenuate sound. For this reason,
absorptive silencers are commonly used in centrifugal compressors, industrial fans,
and gas turbine inlets. Additionally, they can be used in gas turbine exhaust
systems and fans. Absorptive silencers can be installed vertically or horizontally,
which makes them very popular in power and process applications. Absorptive
silencers are also commonly referred to as parallel silencer baffles or splitters and
can be specifically designed to optimize pressure drop and meet all noise criteria for
your project.

Steam Vent Silencers

Also known as gas silencers, steam vent silencers are designed to reduce the amount
of noise created by gas or steam. Steam vent silencers work differently from
absorptive and reactive silencers, as they do not attempt to reflect sound waves and
may or may not use absorptive materials. Instead, vent silencers attenuate noise by
diffusing the flow of pressurized gas or steam as it exits a pipeline. Pressurize air can
have a very high flow and velocity as it leaves a pipe. This creates unsafe noise levels
and could potentially lead to noise-induce hearing problems. Steam vent silencers
reduce the elevated gas and steam pressure created by machinery, and eventually
diffuse the flow to the atmosphere. These silencers are typically used in oil and gas
processing, chemical processing, and heat recovery steam generators or boilers.
They are also common in high pressure vents, safety relief valve outlets, steam vents,
and system blow downs.

Combination Silencers
Combination silencers incorporate elements from several different types of industrial
silencers to create a custom noise control solution. These industrial silencers may
use both scattering and absorption to attenuate sound and bring noise down to an
acceptable and safe level. These silencers are more effective than a frequency
shifting silencer, however, as they are tuned to target a specific tonal noise. This
process targets problematic frequencies and can reduce tonal spike, which also
reduces the overall noise created by the fan exhaust. Combination silencers are
installed in the gas path of a fan and are often used in conjunction with an absorptive
silencer to provide additional attenuation. These silencers are custom designed by
our skilled experts at SVI Industrial to ensure that your manufacturing facility
complies with all noise regulations and operates at a noise level that is safe for your
employees.

Choosing the best industrial silencer for your manufacturing facility depends on
several factors, as each silencer type is best suited for specific projects. You need to
consider the desired application of the silencer and the mandated noise regulations
in your area.  For further information on the different types of industrial
silencers, contact SVI Industrial’s team of skilled professionals. We look forward to
helping you meet your industrial silencer needs.
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