There is a distinct difference between sound and noise. Sound is something you hear and noise is something that is annoying. To put it into the simplest terms, sound would be your puppy’s first bark and noise is your neighbor’s howling dog in the middle of the night — the latter truly annoying. Sound is your child’s first word and noise is that baby crying next to you on a plane, unless of course that is your baby crying on a plane or you are into crying babies. Hey, I don’t judge.
Basically, sound and noise is all how you interpret it and a sound turns into noise when it becomes an annoyance to you and you feel the need to complain. After attending the AEM Noise Conference, I am truly questioning if I have ever heard sound. I think I have only heard noise for the last 30 odd years (no need to get specific) and that is why I have been annoyed. Noise conference is like a Freudian wake up call.
While to date U.S. noise regulations are a mishmash of state, county, city, and local laws appearing in some regions and missing in others (are you having idling regulations flashbacks?). Enforcement of these regulations seems to be a case of “We’ll do something when someone complains.” New York, which seems to be one of the leaders in noise regulations has recommended equipment vendor list, which contractors are encouraged to buy off of and operate these machines.
Stricter laws are evident in the EU, and mirrored EU regs are in effect in countries such as Turkey, Croatia, Macedonia and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Israel and New Caledonia.
Brazil after eight years of discussion is once again threatening to enforce a noise regulation with an effective target date of 2015. The regulation, like China, will use honor system compliance, which questions who will comply and will they comply?
Obviously, the writing is on the wall. Stricter noise and vibration regulations are coming to all parts of America. They are here in some form already, but will it be an EPA mandate as we have seen with emissions regulations or a smattering of city, state and local laws?
Who will absorb the cost? Contractors? OEMs? Component suppliers? Engine Manufacturers? The finger pointing has already begun.
Yes, some level of dB(A) amount of can be reduce through fans, pumps, valves, pneumatics, gears and bearings, sprockets and chains, structures, shafts and even tires can make a difference. But, the engine is the main source of noise. All fingers point here.
The engine cams, lifters, valves, timing gears/chains, pistons slap, tappet knock, block pulsation, and imbalance are possible noise offenders. Does this mean that engine manufacturers will again go through another costly certification process? Didn’t they just dish out the bucks for several very expensive emissions certifications? And what about the CO2 regulations on the horizon? I doubt this will be an inexpensive feat.
How much is too much for an engine OE to absorb? When will the engine cost more than the machine? Make the engine clean. Make it quiet. What next?
I am not opposed to noise regulations. Remember I am annoyed easily. I have probably given you the stink eye on a plane for talking too loud, but I have to admit I like the fast and dirty approach to noise reduction that was taken in the ‘80s. Do whatever it takes to make it quiet now. Be resourceful. Dig a hole and bury it. Hey, whatever it takes. Do it now and do it fast. I know probably not the most environmental approach. No need to send hate mail. I do recycle.
Yes, technology has come a long way and we have come leaps and bounds from how things were done in the 80s. Yes, there are smarter, more logical and more intuitive ways for noise attenuation used today. OEMs can reduce several dB(A) through system design, without damper insulation, which is an amazing accomplishment.
I am just trying to sort through the noise and figure out who will feel the impact the hardest. Who will reach in their pockets the deepest? Who is making the most noise? Whose noise will turn into sound? Really, I would just like to get a good night’s sleep.
