Noise Case Studies

High Pressure Steam Main Cleans No. 2 Blower Station

New high pressure steam mains were installed at Port Kembla Steelwork’s No. 2 Blower Station in 2010. The new steam mains form part of the supply to a number of steam turbines which are highly susceptible to damage from entrained particulates. The new mains require careful cleaning before they can be put into service.

To clean the mains, steam was blown through the system at a higher flow rate than expected during normal operations then discharged to the atmosphere. The community was advised of the work to the Blower Station in advance through public notices in the local newspaper.

To minimise community disturbance, a discharge silencer was designed to maintain an acceptable sound level for maximum blowing flow rates during the day. Noise testing was carried out.

The cleaning of the new high pressure steam mains was completed without any community complaints. The use of the silencer enabled cleaning of the smaller diameter pipe work around the clock, significantly reducing the total time required for the cleaning process.

Discharge silencer minimises noise disturbance from high pressure cleaning.