GEK 110392b

Revised March 2005

GE Energy

Standard Noise Assessment Procedure

These instructions do not purport to cover all details or variations in equipment nor to provide for
every possible contingency to be met in connection with installation, operation or maintenance. Should
further information be desired or should particular problems arise which are not covered sufficiently for
the purchaser's purposes the matter should be referred to the GE Company.
© 2002 General Electric Company
GEK 110392b Standard Noise Assessment Procedure

I. TEST PHILOSOPHY

This “Standard Noise Assessment Procedure” is intended to present an overview of the factors involved in
the testing of large Gas Turbine and Combined Cycle Power Plant equipment, and to provide assurance to
our customers that these procedures adhere to the pertinent standards set forth by ANSI/ASME and ISO.

This document defines the methods that will be used to assess the noise emissions of GE supplied equip-
ment in a power plant, to verify compliance with the noise guarantee of the contract. It describes techniques
to obtain near field and far field (if applicable) noise levels while the power plant is operating at base load
together with all its ancillary cooling and electrical equipment.

This procedure is based on industry recognized standards, namely ANSI/ASME PTC 36-1985 "Measure-
ment of Industrial Sound", ANSI B133.8 -1977 "(R2001) Gas Turbine Installation - Sound Emissions", ISO
10494 “Gas turbines and gas turbine sets – Measurement of emitted airborne noise – Engineering/survey
method, ISO 3746 “Acoustics – Determination of sound power levels of noise sources using sound pres-
sure – Survey method using an enveloping measurement surface over a reflecting plane”, and ISO 6190
“Acoustics – Measurement of sound pressure levels of gas turbine installations for evaluating environmen-
tal noise – Survey method”. Table 1 shows the relationship of these documents.

Table 1. Corresponding ISO and ANSI/ASME Standards

Near Field Measurement Standard1 Far Field Measurement Standard

ISO ISO 104942/ISO 37463 ISO 61904
ANSI/ASME ANSI/ASME PTC 36 ANSI 133.8

1All the referenced near field measurement standards are designed to determine equipment sound power
level based on sound pressure level measurements. For determination of equipment near-field sound levels,
the measurement provisions of each standard will be applied. The calculation to determine sound power
level is not applicable for near-field compliance and will not be incorporated into this test procedure.

2ISO 10494 has been prepared in accordance with ISO 3740 on the basis of ISO 3744 to address mea-
surement requirements specific to gas turbines. Measurements of the gas turbine shall be performed in
accordance with ISO 10494 as appropriate. Measurements of the remaining plant equipment will be mea-
sured in accordance with ISO 3744/ISO 3746.

3ISO 3744 and ISO 3746 are very similar standards forming the ISO 3740 series of standards. ISO 3744
is an engineering grade standard; ISO 3746 is a survey grade standard. The survey grade test method is
general sufficient for near-field acoustic measurements within power stations.

4ISO 6190 has expired without being reaffirmed by the ISO standards committee. Provisions of these
standard are still appropriate for gas turbine far-field measurement and will be used to form a basis for this
acoustic test procedure.

The described assessment(s) shall be conducted or supervised by a competent noise control specialist with
industrial or power station experience.

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Standard Noise Assessment Procedure GEK 110392b

II. ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENT FOR FAR FIELD MEASUREMENT

A number of environmental factors affect the sound level measured at a given orientation and distance
relative to the GE supplied equipment, including both weather and surrounding terrain. While weather
conditions are not controllable, the time of measurement should be chosen to minimize their effect.

A. Atmospheric Conditions

Measurements shall be made when the wind velocity does not exceed 7mph (3m/s) (an average wind
speed of up to, but not exceeding 11mph (5m/s) may be accepted and must be recorded in the test re-
port). For any outdoor location, measurements shall be made when no precipitation is evident. If traffic
noise is evident, no measurements will be made during wet road conditions. Exceptional conditions
of temperature and humidity or other atmospheric conditions at the site should be avoided. Cloudy or
nighttime conditions with wind speeds in the range of 1 to 3 m/s are preferred to minimize unusual
effects due to temperature gradients.

B. Standard Terrain

If obstacles of sufficient size to affect the measurement of acoustic performance exist, data should be
modified in accordance with ANSI B133.8 to compensate for this effect, or the measuring position may
be moved or eliminated.

C. Background Noise

In order to obtain a true representation of the emitted noise from the GE supplied equipment without
any influence from other sources in the vicinity, the background noise level shall be at least 4 dB less
than the measured noise level with the gas turbine plant operating. If the noise level difference is less
than or equal to 3dB, measurement positions should be moved to another location, subject to agreement
of the relevant parties. Noise from equipment that is not within the testing scope should be considered
as background noise. If the background noise is more than 10 dBA less than the operational noise, then
no background corrections are necessary.

III. INSTRUMENTATION FOR NOISE MEASUREMENT

A. Sound Level Meter

Noise measurements shall be made with instrumentation meeting the minimum requirements of IEC
60651 Type I or II instrument and IEC 60804. The instrument shall have both dBA and octave band
frequency measurement capability. The instrument shall be set at the “Fast” meter response.

B. Calibration

Instruments shall be acoustically calibrated before and after each survey, using a sound level calibra-
tor or pistonphone of known sound pressure level. Both the calibrator and the meter shall have been
calibrated within the last 12 months with their traceable calibration records. If there is a discrepancy
exceeding 0.5dB between the pre-survey and post survey calibrations, the test shall be repeated, but
only if the calibration change affects the pass or fail status of the test. Reference: IEC 942:1988 “Sound
Calibrators”.

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GEK 110392b Standard Noise Assessment Procedure

C. Windscreen

A microphone windscreen shall be used to minimize any wind induced noise.

IV. MEASUREMENT PROCEDURE

The power plant will be running at normal operating base load condition, when measurements are taken.
During testing all enclosure doors and access panels will be closed unless otherwise specified. An Instal-
lation Quality check shall be conducted prior to testing, to ensure that all noise control equipment (such as
barrier walls, enclosures, seals, skirting) is properly installed, and that no gaps or holes exist, which would
allow noise to escape from enclosed areas.

A. Microphone Position

The microphone shall be located between 4ft (1.2m) and 5.3ft (1.6m) above the Contract specified level,
and at least 11.5ft (3.5m) from walls or other sound reflecting structures. If these distances cannot be
achieved, appropriate correction should be applied as per Section V of this document. Measurements
shall not be taken at positions less then 3 ft (1 m) to the nearest part of a radiating noise source or
reflecting surface.

B. Near Field Measurement

The near field measurements shall be made in accordance with the guidelines set forth in ANSI PTC 36,
ISO 10494 and ISO 3746. The measurement positions shall be located along the perimeter of the GE
supplied equipment and its auxiliary equipment as defined in the relevant contract document. Measure-
ments will not be made on the upper surfaces of machinery or enclosure surfaces but will be confined
to the areas specified in the contract that are normally accessible and are no closer than 3ft (1m) to
the nearest part of the equipment surface. Near field measurements shall be taken at approximately
10ft (3m) intervals around the gas turbine, steam turbine, generator power train(s) and their auxiliary
equipment.

C. Far Field Measurement

The far field measurements shall be made at the measurement locations identified in the contract docu-
ments. If the contract states the measurements are to be conducted in direct accordance with the appli-
cable procedures, the measurements shall be made at eight locations in accordance with the guidelines
set forth in ANSI B133.8 (re. Figure 2 of ANSI B133.8) and ISO 6190. The distance between the noise
assessment location and the noise source(s) shall be an agreed upon value stated in the noise specifi-
cation and/or contract. The measurement positions may be eliminated or moved depending on local
conditions (background noise, accessibility, reflecting surfaces, screens or topographical conditions).

D. Type of Data

The equivalent continuous sound pressure level shall be determined over a minimum time interval of
30 seconds for the near field assessment and two (2) minutes for the far field assessment or of suffi-
cient duration to ensure a measurement representative of the equipment noise emissions. Near Field
measurements shall not be performed during periods when unusual activities are taking place (such as
construction) that may influence the measured noise levels. For Far Field measurements, the instru-
ment may be placed on “pause” during the measurement period to exclude transient non-plant sound
such as the passing of automobiles; such activity must be documented in the test report.

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Standard Noise Assessment Procedure GEK 110392b

V. CORRECTIONS TO SOUND LEVELS

The following explanations of measurement corrections and uncertainties (section V and VI) are
taken from the applicable ANSI/ASME and ISO standards (referenced above). GE policy regarding
these corrections and uncertainties is outlined in section VII.

A. Correction for Reflections (If Required)

The far field measurements should be corrected to the extent possible for reflective surfaces. The cor-
rection factors (provided in Table 2 of ANSI B133.8) will be applied when there are major buildings,
fences, walls, or other large structures with dimensions greater than 3m (10 ft) within a distance of 5λ
(λ is the wavelength at the lowest frequency of interest) of the equipment being measured or the micro-
phone position. The near field measurements should be corrected for free field condition in accordance
with ANSI PTC 36 and/or ISO 10494.

B. Correction for Background Noise (If Required

The sound pressure levels recorded at each microphone position shall be corrected for the influence of
the background noise at the same location (adapted from ISO 6190 Table 1 and ISO 10494 Table 4).
Corrections will be made in accordance with Table 2. If the background noise is unsteady, additional
statistical sound pressure level (L10, and L90) should be measured.

Table 2. Correction for Background Noise Expressed in dB (re. 2 x 10-5 Pa)

Difference between sound pressure level Correction to be subtracted from sound

measured with Gas Turbine plant operating and pressure level measured with Gas Turbine
background sound pressure level alone plant operating to obtain sound pressure
dB level due to gas turbine alone
dB
> 10 0
9 1
8 1
7 1
6 1
5 2
4 2
≤ 3 Measurement invalid

C. Data Averaging

The average sound pressure level is calculated from the measurements taken at all relevant test posi-
tions, and shall be calculated as an arithmetic or logarithmic average, as specified in the contract.

D. Correction for Distance (If Required)

The measurements may be made at distances other than the compliance locations to accommodate
access restrictions or to mitigate the effect of structures or background noise. If the measurements are
conducted at distances other than the compliance locations, the measurement results, after correction
for background noise, shall be extrapolated to the noise assessment location (ANSI B133.8, and ISO

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GEK 110392b Standard Noise Assessment Procedure

6190). The measurement location shall be approved by all parties involved. The formula for this
extrapolation is as follows.

SLpl = SLtp + 20 log(Dtp/Dpl) - C

SLpl = Noise level at assessment location

SLtp = Noise level at other test point

Dpl = Distance from GT plant boundary to assessment location

Dtp = Distance from GT plant boundary to test point

C = Atmospheric absorption correction between the two distances

VI. MEASUREMENT UNCERTAINTY

Measurements carried out in accordance with standard procedure usually result in uncertainties, as detailed
in the ANSI/ASME and ISO standards referenced above. Typical values are shown in Table 3. The val-
ues reflect the cumulative effects of all causes of measurement uncertainty, which include instrumentation
accuracy, environmental factors, calibration, directional, measurement distance, fluctuation of the source
noise level etc. In instances where these uncertainties cannot be controlled, it is appropriate to apply the
correction factors to the measured values.

Table 3. Uncertainties for Sound Pressure Levels in dB

Frequency – Weighted Center Frequencies of Octave Band Sound Pressure Levels

Sound Pressure
Overall dB(A) 31.5 - 125 Hz 250 Hz 500 – 8000 Hz
3 5 4 3

VII. MEASUREMENT TOLERANCE POLICY

Unless conditions contributing to the corrections and uncertainties described in the preceding sections are
exceptional and/or cannot be corrected to a reasonable degree (such as untreated interior walls of the Turbine
building), GE policy is to apply a general tolerance number to both Near Field and Far Field test measure-
ments (Table 4), rather than applying separate tolerances for each possible correction and/or uncertainty.
This tolerance is significantly smaller than the cumulative total of all of the corrections and uncertainties
specified and/or allowed in the applicable ANSI/ASME and ISO codes. Deviation from this policy will be
discussed and agreed upon between GE and the customer.

Table 4. Tolerances for Test Measurements in dB

Near Field measurement Far Field measurement

Tolerance (dB) Tolerance (dB)
Overall dB(A) 2 3

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Standard Noise Assessment Procedure GEK 110392b

NOTE

ISO 10494 Table 3 Specifies an “uncertainty” of 2dBA for a Grade 2 test and
5dBA for a Grade 3 test for near field noise levels. This combines allowances
for both background and environmental (reflective surfaces, noise contribution)
corrections.

VIII. CALCULATION OF NOMINAL SOUND LEVEL

A. Near Field

The average of all near field levels measured around all of the GE supplied equipment, after correction
for background noise and free field condition, shall be considered the nominal sound level of the power
plant. If this value, minus the test tolerance shown in Table 4, is equal to or less than the guaranteed
level the plant shall be considered in compliance with the contractual near field requirements.

B. Far Field

Far Field noise levels shall be reported in accordance with the applicable ANSI/ASME and ISO stan-
dards and the far field noise requirements specific to the site being tested. If the measured sound level
at the specified compliance locations, minus the test tolerance shown in Table 4, is equal to or less than
the guaranteed level the plant shall be considered in compliance with the contractual far field require-
ments.

IX. INFORMATION TO BE REPORTED

The noise measurement report will include the following information.

A. Power Plant

1. Location

2. Model and configuration of equipment in operation

3. Description of units including auxiliary equipment and noise control treatment

4. Full details of the operating condition of the power station during the test

5. Any other appropriate information

B. Acoustic Environment

1. Dimensioned sketch showing the GE supplied equipment, measurement positions, significant

buildings, structures, and/or other reflecting objects.

2. Meteorological conditions at a noted measurement position, including temperature, relative hu-

midity, wind speed and wind direction.

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GEK 110392b Standard Noise Assessment Procedure

C. Instrumentation

Details of the instrument(s) used, including name, manufacturer, model number, serial number and
calibration certificates.

D. Acoustic Data

1. Background noise levels used for any correction

2. The results of the measurement at each position as dB(A) and octave band values.

E. General Data

1. Personnel performing and observing the test

2. Date and time of measurement.

F. Any Exceptions to this Procedure

GE Energy
General Electric Company
www.gepower.com