The document discusses noise management in offshore installations. It notes that noise can cause health issues and safety risks. Offshore installations present unique noise challenges due to their compact environment and mix of noise sources. Successful noise management requires understanding targets, coordinating with contractors, selecting optimal noise control measures, and reliable noise predictions early in design. Lloyd's Register provides noise prediction packages that can include outdoor sound propagation studies, noise insulation analysis, structure-borne noise studies, HVAC noise evaluation, vibration studies, and underwater noise studies to help minimize noise risks and costs.

1. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Noise Management in Offshore
Installations
Daniel Alvarez, M.Sc.
Senior Consultant, Energy
Lloyd’s Register
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

2. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Noise
• Source of: stress, high blood pressure, headaches, tiredness,
reduction of work efficiency, hearing loss
• May be fatal if personnel cannot hear instructions or alarms.
• Impacts: (1) comfort, (2) working conditions and (3) environment
Offshore Installations
• Compact environment with large amount of noise and vibration sources
• Structure-borne noise play an important role in steel-type structures
• Indoor controlable climate is often required
• Limited space and weight for noise control measures
• Movable facilities may want to comply with regulations globally
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

3. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Successful Noise Management through...
• Understanding the targets
• Dialogue contractors - vendors
• Find optimal combination of noise control measures
• All based on Reliable Noise Predictions at early design
stage
Value
• Substantial reduction of cost
• Enhance reduction by tailoring control measures to specific
design
• Minimize risk of expensive retroactive noise control
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

4. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Noise Prediction Package often includes...
FWD
11
108-110
10 106-108
Shearing Tank Slurry Tank 104-106
9
Skimmer Tanks 102-104
Vacuum Unit 100-102
• Outdoor sound propagation study
8
98-100
7 96-98
Shearing Tank 94-96
Y (Meter)
6
92-94
90-92
Noise at indoor machinery areas
5
•
88-90
Triptank Pumps Desilter Pumps
4 86-88
84-86
3
Desilter Tank
82-84
Catch Tank
Clean Tank
Centrifuge
Sand Trap Degasser
Tank
Triptank 80-82
2
Noise Insulation Analysis
Tank Tank
•
78-80
1 76-78
74-76
0
72-74
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
X (Meter) 70-72
• Structure-borne noise study
• Evaluation of HVAC Noise
• Vibration studies
• Underwater noise study
“The matter is not only to operate them,
but to choose the right tool for specific
applications”
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

5. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Outdoor Sound Propagation Study
• Focus on working conditions
• Identifies problem areas and warning signal locations
• Requires knowledge about oil & gas machinery and
its noise and vibration characteristics (database)
• Can be used during the entire life cicle for HSE
purposes (requires regular updates)
• Allows the evaluation of noise control measures
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

6. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Noise at Indoor Machinery Areas
• Focus on working conditions
• Identifies problem areas and warning signal
locations
• Requires database of machinery noise and
vibration characteristics as well as indoor
environment properties (Absorption or T60)
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

7. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Noise Insulation Analysis
• Focus on Accommodation Blocks and sensitive areas in noisy environments (control
rooms)
• Noise transmission from outdoors as well as noise transmission amongst indoor spaces
• Requires knowledge about material properties (often based on empirical information)
Lp,1
Lp,2 = ?
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

8. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Structure-borne Noise Study
• Focus on Accommodation Blocks
• Requires source strength (energy to structure)
• Requires information about how the energy
propagates in the structure (empirical or
statistical)
• Requires knowledge in regards to material
damping (often flooring)
Lv4
LW4
Lv2 L2W LW3 Lv3
LW1
Lv1
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

9. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Evaluation of HVAC Noise
• Focus on Accommodation Blocks and often
affecting working conditions too
• Noise is generated through supply and
return ducting (silencer up and
downstream)
• Silencers are often cheap solutions but
often forgotten creating a space issue
• Empirical information about pressure-drop
control devices is often required
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

10. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Vibration Studies
• Deterministic analysis of supporting structure
• The output refers structural modifications to suit
requirements
• Often conducted only for major equipment
Excitatio
n points:
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

11. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Vibration Studies (2)
• Coarse evaluation of suporting structure
• Selection of anti-vibration mounts as per machinery characteristics
• Database of anti-vibration technology plays an important role
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

12. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Underwater Noise Study
• The effect of piling of offshore platforms
180
10
170
Source
30
160
Overall SEL (dB re 1µPa2⋅s)
Depth [m]
50 150
140
70
Seabed
130
90
120
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Range [km]
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

13. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Underwater Propagation Modelling
Water-filled pile
Water
Acoustic Finite Element Model of untreated
Water
pile vs single-wall cofferdam
Snapshot at 19 ms
Cofferdam
Hammer energy 1890 kNm/kJ
Seabed Seabed Pile length/diameter: 45 m / 5.4 m
Water depth: 25 m
Cofferdam: 50 mm steel, 900 mm air
gap
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

14. Lloyd’s Register services to the energy industry
Conclusions
• Noise may cause significant costs in your project
• Noise may generate considerable damage to your employees
• Theoretical and empirical information in regards to noise and vibration
charateristics of machinery, as well as material noise insulation properties play
an important role during the design
• Noise and vibration prediction tools help to evaluate your asset. The matter is
not only to operate them, but to choose the right tool for specific applications
• The earlier noise is considered, the better!
November 11-14, 2014 Adipec

15. November 11-14, 2014 Adipec