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Procedia Manufacturing 8 (2017) 424 – 431

14th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing, GCSM 3-5 October 2016, Stellenbosch,
South Africa

Design of an optimum acoustic enclosure for an open frame diesel

generator
Tawanda Mushiria,*, Nyasha Madzirob and Charles Mbohwac
a
D.Eng Candidate, University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Auckland Park Campus, Auckland Park
2006, P.O Box 524, Johannesburg, South Africa
b
Student, University of Zimbabwe, Department of Mechanical Engineering, P.O Box MP167, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
c
Professor, University of Johannesburg, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Auckland Park Campus, Auckland Park 2006, P.O
Box 524, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

Currently most of the generators are operating at noise levels 90dB which are far above the recommended noise level standards in
developing nations residential areas, working environment like in office setups and learning environments. The current acoustic
enclosures are only cooling internally using a fan, imbalances due to rotating components of the generator and the vibrations from
the engine transmitted to the frame of the enclosure. As a result there is noise produced due to imbalances, vibrations and heat
build-up in the enclosure. The proposed solution will curb noise problem using composite sound wall panels and use a heat
exchanger to take out heat building in the acoustic enclosure. The important consideration for the enclosure design involves the
heat transfer characteristics. This is because the design of an acoustic enclosure is striking a balance between the thermal aspect
and sound.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
© 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-reviewunder
Peer-review under responsibility
responsibility of the
of the organizing
organizing committee
committee of theof theGlobal
14th 14th Global Conference
Conference on Sustainable
on Sustainable Manufacturing.
Manufacturing

Keywords: Acoustic enclosure, diesel generator, open frame, design, muffler.

*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +263773245571. E-mail address: tawanda.mushiri@gmail.com

2351-9789 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 14th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing
doi:10.1016/j.promfg.2017.02.054
 Tawanda Mushiri et al. / Procedia Manufacturing 8 (2017) 424 – 431 425

1. Introduction and background

In Zimbabwe, there has been power shortages in recent years and frequent power cuts. As a result of these problems
the commercial sector and residents of several cities resort to the use of standby generators to supply electricity in
their homes. Diesel generator use is on the rise in the country because of its efficiency as compared to petrol generators
and it is also cheap since it produces more electrical power output per litre. However, diesel generators are associated
with one problem that of producing high levels of noise when they are under operation. For example when one is
walking in a street, it is easy to identify houses with generators because of the sound which they emit and this disturbs
other nearby residents. The project is a feasible and effective design of an acoustic enclosure for small to medium
scale diesel generators to reduce noise they make. The purpose of this design is to balance the control of the noise that
the generators make and thermal management within the acoustic enclosure.

Diesel generators have proved to be effective, user friendly and reliable source of power generation. Typical noise
levels of generators ranges between 105 decibels at 6.5 metres which is very loud and uncomfortable to sensitivity of
human ears. Sound levels usually acceptable for domestic use is 67 decibels while for industrial uses is 72 decibels
[1]. Some of the generators used in industries have acoustic enclosures unlike those used for domestic purposes and
in the commercial sector of small to medium sized generators are not acoustically enclosed. This is solely due to cost
considerations. The goal of this project is to come up with an optimum design for an acoustic enclosure affordable to
users of portable generators of small to medium size of 4.5kVA up to 125 kVA. The design will focus on the areas
such as primary material selection used in the construction and geometry of the enclosure. However, the enclosure
has to be sealed since any opening or gap in it allows sound to pass uninterrupted and this will be detrimental its
function. However, openings have to be put on the enclosure to accommodate piping, cooling and air flow. For best
results, the enclosure must be as large as possible to allow less heat build-up inside the enclosure. Noise from generator
causes the following subjective effects which include annoyance, interference with activities like sleeping and learning
environment including physiological effects such as loss of hearing. These problems can be rectified by the use of a
well-designed acoustic enclosure to absorb the noise it makes which will be as a result of the application of engineering
knowledge. There is noise which is produced by generators used due to its imbalance resulting from its sliding or
rotating components which is a problem and also a build-up of convectional heat currents inside the enclosure that
can reduce the lifespan of the generator.

1.1. Objectives

x Reduce the level of noise from (100 dB to 55 dB) [2]

x Both internally and externally cool the acoustic enclosure

2. Literature survey

Generators which are widely used for small scale uses such as in homes, shops and offices are usually single phase
and are mostly used for powering light gadgets like lights, television sets, computers, refrigerators and other small
appliances [3]. Unlike in the industry setups where heavy machinery is used for example centre lathe machine,
injection moulding machine, milling machines CNC machine and electric motors which are used in drives such as in
conveyor belts.

2.1. Diesel generators

The generator uses diesel as a fuel. It has an internal combustion which has a drive shaft which is coupled to the
rotor. The rotor is driven by the torque from the internal combustion engine [4].
426 Tawanda Mushiri et al. / Procedia Manufacturing 8 (2017) 424 – 431

Fig. 1. Open frame generator

As shown in figure 1, the generator is mounted on an open frame. The frame is made up of columns and beams.
The frame accommodates the generator stator, rotor and all the other components. However all the components making
up a generator are exposed to an environment and as a result when it is under operation sound easily escapes from it
unhindered and also exposed to harsh weather conditions such as rain.

2.2. Production of noise and vibrations

Machine operations involved in the generation of forces and motions which produce vibrations and cause some
machinery imbalance resulting in fluctuating forces in gear meshes and cams due to small variations in machining,
electromagnetic forces in rotating machinery, combustion pressures and fluctuating forces which are due to air and
liquid flows [5].

2.3. Problems

When a generator is under operation it produces noise especially the engine cylinder head temperature reaches a
steady state temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius [6]. Heat produced by the generator is more if the engine itself
is not radiator cooled. If the generator is enclosed with an acoustic enclosure there will be some heat build-up. Most
of the acoustic enclosures are only currently being internally cooled. There will be a louver at one end and a fan at the
other end.

3. Materials and methods

3.1. Introduction

In this section the methods deployed in accomplishing the project objectives are clearly outlined. It also include
brief explanations of how instruments are used to measure sound and how engineering software are used such as
AutoCAD and Solidworks.
 Tawanda Mushiri et al. / Procedia Manufacturing 8 (2017) 424 – 431 427

Table 1. Technical specifications

Technical specifications of generator Total rating
Frequency 50/60HZ
Maximum AC Output (kVA) 4.5/5.0
Rated AC Output (kVA) 4.2/4.6
Fuel Diesel
N.W./G.W.(kg): 170
Overall dimension (L*W*H)mm: 735*495*605
Bore*stroke (mm*mm) 86*70
Displacement (cc) 418
Fuel consumption (g/kWh) 275.1
Fuel tank capacity (L) 16
Lube oil type SAE10W30
Lube oil capacity (L) 1.65
Maximum power output (HP) 9.0
Output (kW/rpm) 60/3000 6.5/3600
Compress the ratio 19:01
Type 4-stroke

3.2. Data collection

Consistency in noise measurements is very vital. Firstly the sound is measured when the generator is in free space.
The sound measurements are supposed to taken in a free environment where in the absence of sound barriers. A sample
space of about (15*15) meters is used, the generator is placed at the centre of the sample space. The measurements
are taken in dB using sound level meters in an (8*8) matrix format.

4. Results and discussion

4.1. Introduction

This section will concentrate on the procedural designing concepts of the chosen solution. This includes the use of
various software, calculations and theories used in designing the acoustic enclosure. More explanations will be
incorporated in this section of how the solution will work.

Fig. 2. Chosen solution designed

428 Tawanda Mushiri et al. / Procedia Manufacturing 8 (2017) 424 – 431

4.2 Selection of materials to be used to construct the panels of the enclosure

Cellular and porous solids are good absorbing materials, they can attenuate noise transmission. Acoustic insulation
materials work on two processes which are absorption of sound energy, which dissipates sound as heat energy and
reflection where the noise is reflected away from a location where quieting is desired. There are three basic types of
sound absorbers which are porous materials, panel absorbers and resonators. Sound absorbers are commonly formed
of matted fibres, a panel absorber has a surface which is not flexible mounted over an airspace and resonators are
created by holes connected to an enclosed volume of trapped air. The materials that will make the walls of the
enclosure are foam which is polyurethane, plywood, composite saw dust and grinded glass and trapped air. The sound
that is emitted by the generator ranges from 500Hz to 4000Hz. The extent to which a material attenuates sound
critically depends on the frequency of sound striking on it. The designing of the thickness of each sound absorber will
cater for the frequency range of (500 to 4000) Hz refer to appendix 1 and 2. Polyurethane will act as a porous absorber
while the other materials will act as panel absorbers.

The thickness of each of the panel can range between 10 to 50 mm. The thickness of the plywood to be in this
design will be 15 mm while the composite sawdust and grinded glass is made 50 mm thick. Polyurethane will have a
thickness of 20 mm lined on the wall of the acoustic enclosure. Table 2 shows a chart with polyurethane absorption
coefficient.

Table 2. Chart showing sound absorption coefficient of polyurethane 20mm thickness at different frequencies

MATERIAL FREQUENCY Hz 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000

Polyurethane 0.13 0.60 0.81 0.90 0.93 0.97
ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT

The outer layer is a rigid panel made of steel of thickness 3mm, with a surface density of 4.9 – 15.20 (kg/m2)
giving a sound reduction of about 18 to 30 decibels.

Fig. 3. Arrangement of sound absorbing materials on a panel

 Tawanda Mushiri et al. / Procedia Manufacturing 8 (2017) 424 – 431 429

4.3 Design of helical spring

The material to be used to design the helical spring is mild carbon steel because it has high fatigue strength, high
ductility, high resilience and it should be creep resistant. Mild steel has shear yield stress of 170MPa, ultimate shear
stress 350 MPa and modulus of rigidity 80 (GN/m2).
Mass of generator m=170 kg and weight is 1660N using g = 9.81N/kg. The generator will be supported by four
springs. Mass to be supported by one spring is 1668/4 which is 417N. Appendix 1 can be referred to.
Spring Index is 5 because range 5-12 is the best Manufacturing Range with lower Cost.

D = Mean diameter of the spring coil

d = Diameter of the spring wire.
C = spring index
n = Number of active turns of the coils
Do = the outer diameter of the spring coil

4.4 Design of heat exchanger

Copper is used to make the pipes of the heat exchanger. Copper has properties such as being thermally efficient
and durable for construction of heat exchanger. Copper is an excellent conductor of heat, this means that copper have
high thermal conductivity, allows heat to pass through it quickly. Moreover, copper is used in heat exchangers because
of its corrosion resistance, biofouling resistance, maximum allowable stress and internal pressure.
Copper has a remarkable resistance to fire. In the event of fire, fittings will not be destroyed. Also of significance
is that in the event of a fire, since copper does not burn, no toxic gases are released. This helps contain the toxic
dangers created by house fires. Copper is a much softer metal than steel which makes it easier to work with. You can
achieve various lengths, widths and contours more easily with copper. Copper bends easily which reduces the need
for connectors and fasteners in plumbing. This cuts down on both hardware and installations costs.

Ethylene Glycol or Propylene glycol + De-ionized Water + Corrosion Inhibitors = Coolant

The differences between coolants are primarily dictated by the quality of the glycol and water used and just as
important if not more important are the corrosion inhibitors used. A coolant must have the following properties:
excellent heat transfer, prevention of scale build up, compatibility with hard water and stability at high temperature.
The two glycol used as coolants are Ethylene and propylene mixed with water. Mixing water with a glycol increases
the boiling water and lowers the melting point. Coolant to enter will be mixed with a ratio of (70/30), coolant will
have melting point of around 130 degrees Celsius. Figures 4 and 5 show the detailed designs.

Table 3. Thermal conductivity of metals

Material Thermal conductivity ( W/m2K)
Copper 386
Aluminium 273
Brass 109
Stainless steel 16

Q= m*c*ΔT
Q=2.69Kw
430 Tawanda Mushiri et al. / Procedia Manufacturing 8 (2017) 424 – 431

Fig. 4. Muffler design parameters

Fig. 5. Assembly drawings for improved generator.

5. Recommendations and conclusion

When the generator will be running, acoustic enclosure experiences some minor vibration. This vibration will cause
the wall and frame to become loose with time. Regular checks and replacements of gasket seals on the joints should
done. If the generator is not mounted on a fixed position, would recommend the tyres supporting the acoustic enclosure
and the generator to be made of tyres that are inflated. This will help in damping vibrations and increases stability.
Operating the generator set in a shade will reduce solar radiations being absorbed into the enclosure thereby increasing
heat inside the enclosure. Moreover, using the generator set where there is plenty of air circulation increases the
efficiency since the heat sink will be cooled at a faster rate.

Regular checks on the levels of the coolant is frequently encouraged since the system primary rely on the external
cooling done by the heat exchanger. Incorporating a control system for warning signals when there are excessive
vibrations and temperature is very vital since it introduces a predictive maintenance to the whole setup. When mixing
 Tawanda Mushiri et al. / Procedia Manufacturing 8 (2017) 424 – 431 431

water and a glycol to recommended to use the ratio for glycol to water a 60 to 40 since it provides higher melting and
boiling point. When manufacturing and fabricating it is advisable to use large tolerance band since it will reduce the
cost of the whole unit. The enclosure can have smoothed edges or curved edge s as a safety measure. The users must
not touch the muffler or muffler chamber when the generator will be running because it will be very hot. The use of
an acoustic enclosure is the way to go. The benefits it poses are a great improvement on the existing open frame diesel
generators. From the proposed design, the acoustic enclosure will reduce noise to the recommended sound level by
the local authority, damp vibrations due to imbalance of rotating components machinery. The cost incurred in to
manufacture and assemble the enclosure is worthwhile paying for considering the lifespan over a couple of years it
will be under operation. The design of the enclosure also takes out the heat that build up in it using a heat exchanger
and also a fan. The acoustic enclosure is also user friendly, easy to use and safe. For regulating noise pollution in
residential areas, learning and working environments such as in office set ups where silence is a necessity. Acoustic
enclosures are the only remedy for this problem.

References
[1] J. E. Blanks, 1997. Optimal Design of an Enclosure for a Portable Generator. First ed. Virginia: Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
[2] E. Davies, E. Noise and vibrations. Leicester: Pollution Control Group, 2001.
[3] K. Parvathi, A. G., 2003. Studies on control of noise from portable power generator. Chennai, York University.
[4] J. Randall. S. J. H. M. W. H. Poirier, 1989. Acoustic Enclosure for Marine Engine Generator Set. United States of America, Patent No. US
4733750 A.
[5] R. H. Lyon, 1987. Machinery Noise and Diagnostics. First ed. s.l. Butterworths.
[6] U. Hammad, A. A. A. K.,. Q., 2013. Design and development ofnoisesuppression systemfor domestic generators. European Scientific Journal,
Volume 4.

Appendix 1. Thermal Conductivity of Thermal Insulators

Thermal Conductivity of Thermal Insulators
Material Density (kg/m3) Thermal conductivity (W/mK)
Air 1.3 0.025
Al2O3 foam 500 0.042
Balsawood 130 0.05
Calcium Silicate 240 0.05
Ceramic fiber blanket 128 0.032
Cork 150 0.043
Fibrefax 324 0.03
Foamed glass 144 0.035
Microtherm 240 0.021
Polystyrene (air) 46 0.026
Polystyrene (vacuum) 46 0.0081
Polystyrene (Styrofoam) 30 0.027
Polyurethane (rigid) 40 0.032
Polyurethane (flexible) 60 0.042
Polyurethane (PIR) 160 0.05
Rubber foam 100 0.042
SiO2 form 160 0.055
Vermiculite (expanded) 300 0.069