Reducing the pollution resulting from production processes is an issue in all the heavy industries, and since the pollution takes different forms, so must the measures to reduce it.
Solid waste is usually stored on site until it can be removed by a suitable vehicle. Special care must be taken when removing hazardous waste, and suitable transport arrangements must be made. This can mean anything from having the waste containers and the vehicle which transports them correctly labelled with GHS signage, to using a vehicle specifically modified for the task (as in the case of nuclear flasks). Liquid waste may be similarly removed, or treated on-site and discharged as effluent.
Gaseous waste can be difficult to deal with; storage of waste gas is rarely practical, as it would have to be kept in airtight containers, and with volatile compounds compression may not be an option. Usually, the only practical solution is to neutralise the gas and release it to the atmosphere. As you would expect, this practice is very strictly regulated. Unwanted noise is another form of pollution, and is often a by-product of such gas treatment systems.
If the management of an industrial facility do not take reasonable measures to control the noise pollution produced by its gas venting systems they may leave the company open to prosecution under environmental law. This is achieved by the use of an acoustic silencer (also known as a muffler) as a part of the gas discharge apparatus. An industrial silencer works on the same principles as the exhaust silencer fitted to your car. A system of insulating blocks and acoustic chambers modify the flow of gas to reduce the noise produced as it is released.
Ventx are specialists in the design, manufacture and installation of such industrial acoustic silencer systems. We use advanced computer software to model the acoustic properties of an existing or planned gas discharge system and predict the characteristics of the sound it will produce. An effective silencer can then be manufactured accordingly. Types of silencer include:
- A direct in-line silencer is the simplest type of industrial noise-abatement device. Industrial compressors are sensitive to pressure variances within the system, so an attached silencer must be designed to maintain the pressure in the pipe. Therefore, an inline silencer achieves sound modification by use of absorptive baffles. Different densities of material are available depending on the acoustic profile of the system. It is usually quite simple to retro-fit an inline silencer into existing pipework.
- An atmospheric vent discharge industrial silencer uses a diffuser and expansion chamber in conjunction with absorptive material. This reduces the pressure of the gas flow, and therefore the energy which creates the noise.
- A gas ejector silencer is for use with a steam or combustion exhaust system.
As silencer design experts, we can help with the design of new systems or the modification of existing facilities. Don’t settle for anything less than the best in silencer design. Contact our experts for more information.
