SA7/2/EN/1

Acoustic Louvre
Type NL

TROX (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd. Tel. +27 (0)33 398 1006
10 Wigford Road Fax. +27 (0)33 398 1100
Masons Mill email : pmb@troxsa.co.za
Pietermaritzburg Website: www.troxsa.co.za
Contents • Description

Description 2 Louvre Selection 6

Standard Louvres 3 Nomenclature 6
Construction 3 Acoustic Performance 7
Sizes 3 Pressure Loss 7
Sectionalised Construction 4 Regenerated Noise 7
Installation 5 Order Details 8

TROX Type NL acoustic louvres provide a positive

solution where acoustic performance is required from
a weather louvre. They are available in either steel
or aluminium construction with “standard” or “high”
acoustic performance options. A non-acoustic version
having a complementary appearance is available. A
variety of coloured finishes may be specified.

2
 Standard Louvres • Construction • Sizes

Product Range Steel Construction

Casings are manufactured from galvanised sheet metal
Type NL channels 1.6mm thick to grade Z 275. Galvanised lou-
Standard acoustic performance louvre. vre blades are of aerodynamic section and are set at ap-
prox. 40° on 150mm pitches. A raised lip is incorporat-
Type NLH ed at the rear of the blade to minimise rain ingress. Bird
High acoustic performance louvre comprising two NL screens from 25 x 25 x 1.6mm galvanised wire mesh are
types mounted back to back. fitted as standard to all types, except Type NLD which is
fitted with blanking plate.
Type NLD
Non-acoustic version with complementary appearance. Acoustic louvre blades contain infill which complies
Can be supplied with rear blanking plate to prevent air with Class O Building Regulations. The infill has a glass
passage. cloth facing and is contained behind perforated metal,
this dual protection prevents damage and fibre erosion
up to 30 m/s airway velocity.

Aluminium Construction
Construction is generally as for steel types described
above except that casing and louvre blades are made
from aluminium to grade 1200 H4.

Width, B 300 608 110

150
Height, H

Birdguard Birdguard Birdguard or

blanking plate
B
NL NLH NLD
L

Louvre Type Approximate Weights Dimensions

Standard Sizes
in mm
NLS 48 kg/m2 face area B 300 → 1800 in increments of 150
NLA 35 kg/m2 face area H 450 → 2400 in increments of 150
NLH as NLS or NLA x 2
NLD as NLS or NLA x 0.5

3
Sectionalised Construction

Sectionalised Construction

Acoustic louvres are supplied in sections when either

of the following dimension is exceeded:

B = 2000mm H = 2400mm

The assembly of sectionalised louvres is on site by

others.

The combinations illustrated below are available in

louvre Types NL, NLH and NLD.

Fig 1. Split on width only.

Fig 2. Split on width and height.
Fig 3. Split on height only.

Fig 1
B
= =
H

Birdguard or
blanking plate
L

Fig 2 Fig 3
B B
= =
H
H

4
Installation

Type NL • NLH • NLD

Installation Details

The vertical casing sides of the acoustic louvres are pre-

slotted to facilitate fixing using a variety of acceptable
methods.

On multi section units, the casings are supplied drilled

for easier site assembly. During fixing, the louvres should
be set square and true in opening then wedged before
fixing. Air gaps should be filled with a flexible mastic.

Installation and fixing items are not supplied.

� Fixing angle
Mastic fill by
others by others
Opening B+15
B

Opening B+15
B

300 110
25 25 25

608
127

170
170
300

300
300

Opening H+15
300

300

300

9,0mm wide
H

slots on 300
centres
H

H -15
300

300

300

The second stage of

louvre Type NLH should
be supported
(by others)

9,0mm wide
REAR FRONT slots on 300
REAR FRONT
centres

Type NL Type NLD Type NLH

5
Louvre Selection • Nomenclature

Louvre Selection

The acoustic performance needed to meet a particular

design noise requirement must be calculated. Table
1 indicates the acoustic performance available from
standard and high performance acoustic louvres.

From Table 2, select a louvre size at a face velocity that

gives an acceptable pressure loss. Check that the louvre
self-noise will not infringe upon the design noise criterion
by reference to the Self Noise Index, SNI.

The SNI gives an approximation of regenerated noise

from the louvre due to air velocity. This is expressed as
an NC value at 1 metre, 3 metres and 10 metres from the
louvre face. The louvre selected should have an SNI at
lease 5 NC below the design noise criterion.

Nomenclature Example:

L in mm : Length, in direction of airflow a) SRI required @ fm =

B in mm : Width
H in mm : Height 63 125 250 500 1k 2k 4k 8k Hz
V in l/s : Volume flow rate 2 4 7 10 12 12 8 4 dB
vt in m/s : Face velocity based on
V ÷ (B x H x 1000) b) Design noise criterion = NC45 at 3
∆p in Pa : Pressure Loss metres from opening.
fm in Hz : Octave centre frequency c) Volume flow rate, V = 9000 l/s
SRI in dB : Sound Reduction Index d) Maximum required pressure loss, ∆p = 40 Pa.
SNI : Self Noise Index; equivalent to e) Maximum required height, H = 1200mm.
NC sound pressure level curve
at free field distance shown. 1) From Table 1, a standard performance Type
NL louvre would meet the required acoustic
performance.

2) From Table 2, the maximum permissable face

velocity, for ∆p = 40 Pa, is 2.4 m/s.

3) From Table 2, the maximum permissable face

velocity, vt for an SNI of 45 minus 5 at 3m,
is 3.7 m/s.

4) Size the louvre at the limiting velocity of

2.4 m/s.

Required louvre area, m2 = V ÷ (vt x 1000)

= 9000 ÷ (2.4 x 1000)
= 3.75

Width, B required = 3.75 ÷ H (in metres)

= 3.75 ÷ 1.2
= 3.125 metres = 3125mm

Louvre Selection:
Type NL; B x H 3125 x 1200 (Specify material and
finish - see page 10)

6
Acoustic Performance• Pressure Loss

Acoustic Performance

Acoustic louvre performance has been derived from tests based The term “Noise Reduction” is sometimes encountered. This
upon BS 2750. The test work was carried out in our own acoustic refers to free field measurements taken is close proximity to
test complex using a reverberant room to reverberant room the louvre face rather than in the reverberant receiving room
technique. Measurements with and without the test piece were described in BS 2750. This method tends to improve upon the
compared to produce the “Sound Reduction Index” (also known Sound Reduction Index figures by 6 dB.
as “Transmission Loss”) of both the “standard” performance NL
acoustic louvre and the “high” performance version NLH. However, for most applications the “Sound Reduction Index”
data is the more appropriate, since for all practical purposes it
may be used in the same way as the static insertion loss of a
duct attentuator.

Table 1 : Sound Reduction Index, SRI in dB

Octave centre frequency fm in Hz

Louvre Type

63 125 250 500 1k 2k 4k 8k

NL 5 5 7 11 15 18 13 13

NLH 8 9 12 19 28 30 23 22

Aerodynamic Performance

The aerodynamic profile of the acoustic louvre blade ensures low pressure loss similar to conventional non-acoustic
weather louvres of higher free area. The percentage free area varies with louvre height, with the smaller louvres most
affected by the restriction of the top and bottom dummy sections.

Type NL (ducted from atmosphere) Type NLH (ducted from atmosphere)

H= 500
00
50

H= 00
H= 50
H= 00
24
4

6
7
9
1
H=

H=
24 200
H=H=1900
H= 0
H=750
0

150
60
45

00
H=
H=

150 55 45 35
55 45 35 100
100 90
90 80
80 70 50 40 30
Self noise index, SNI

70 50 40 30 60
60
Self noise index, SNI

50 45 35 25
50 45 35 25
40 40 30 20
40
Pressure Loss ip in Pa

40 30 20
Pressure Loss ip in Pa

30 30
35 25 15 35 25 15
at 10 metres
at 1 metres
at 3 metres
at 10 metres
at 1 metres
at 3 metres

10 10

5
0,5 1 2 3 4 5 5
0,5 1 2 3 4
Face Velocity vt in m/s
Face Velocity vt in m/s

7
 Order Code

Order Code NL

NL / A / H / 4000 X 1800 / S1 / RAL 9010

Louvre Type

Height, H State colour (if

Material: Width , W
not standard)

S = Galvanised steel
A = Natural aluminium

Type Suffix:
Finish:
H = High performance
D = Non acoustic 0 = Standard finish
(galvanised)
01 = Mill finish
S1 = Painted to RAL...
P1 = Powder coated to RAL
Design changes reserved • All rights reserved © Trox (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd i October 2005

Specification Text

Type NL acoustic louvre constructed from either galvanised

sheet steel mill aluminium with finish as specified. A 1.6mm
thick channel casing incorporates aerodynamic acoustic
blades containing erosion protected Class 0 infill covered
by expanded sheet metal. Casing sides are pre-slotted for
fixing into a prepared opening.

Order Example

Make: TROX
Type: NL/A/H/4000 x 1800/S1/RAL 9010
8