The three causes of noise at safety valves

Ventx is the UK’s top industrial silencing expert. We support clients with noise control, whether it is sounds because of their equipment, transportation of gas or liquid, or other issues. To help, we can offer a safety valve silencer and other products. Here we strive to make workplaces safer and can also improve efficiency. Plus, we can support businesses with adhering to environmental standards. A number of industrial operations rely on safety valves. They can control pressure drops with liquids and gases to prevent dangerous situations. For example, if there was no valve on a line transporting steam, the pressure could build to a point where it could rupture the pipe or explode. The issue here is the valves increase the amount of ambient noise in an area. This happens in three different ways: Mechanical vibration Firstly, noise can occur because the flow of liquid or gas physically makes components in the valve vibrate. It can be surprisingly noisy, especially if the valves are the wrong size. In some cases heavy vibration can even increase the risk of damage. Aerodynamic noise Any interruption in the flow of gas in a system can result in loud noises. What happens here is the gas decelerates, expands, and changes direction. It results in turbulence and noise. Unfortunately some system designs create obstacles or obstructions that cause the aerodynamic issue. For example, it can happen due to gases flowing into a safety valve. It is also common when there are bends in pipes. Hydrodynamic noise Systems for transporting liquids can also suffer from noise problems. The issue here is usually cavitation. What happens is vapour cavities form and collapse within the flow of liquid. The collapses generate a shockwave and cause the sound. People who have experience with it often say it sounds like gravel flowing through the pipe. Treatment It is important to treat any noise in these situations. In some it may be necessary to install a safety valve silencer or path treatment. In others you may need pressure management solutions or even source treatments such as inline diffusers. There are a number of benefits if you do tackle the noise here. Most importantly you will improve worker safety by ensuring they don’t have exposure to the sounds. That is a responsibility every employer should take seriously. In addition, in some cases the noise treatment can reduce the need for costly repairs and downtime. There is a lot of pressure on components and instrumentation here. So, they may need repairing more frequently. That can be very costly. It is better to tackle the noise and improve the operating conditions. Talk to us to design a safety valve silencer At Ventx we appreciate how vital safety valves are. However, we also know about all the negatives associated with high ambient noise. We can tackle this with solutions like silencers and diffusers. We have a long history in the industry and can serve clients with all kinds of facilities, including exceptionally noisy oil and gas or chemical plants. So, if you need help, speak to us and see if a safety valve silencer is the solution or if another model would be better. We will select the best one for you.

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