New Approach To İndustrial Noise Measurement

Cirrus Environmental has launched the MK:427 Noise Sensor, a self-contained outdoor noise meter that connects directly to SCADA systems. The sensor allows noise level data to be incorporated into Process Measurement and Control systems with unparalleled ease. The data can be stored to provide a complete record of a plant's noise activities, and can also be used to control noisy processes in real time. For example: a pump or fan can be throttled back when the noise it generates reaches an excessive level at the site boundary.

Unlike a conventional Sound Level Meter, the Noise Sensor simply converts the noise level in decibels into standard 4-20mA and linear DC outputs. The pure-analogue electronics are highly reliable and operate without any user intervention. No specialist acoustic knowledge is required – simply power-up the Noise Sensor and the measured noise level is continuously fed to the output. With the 4-20mA output, very long cable lengths can be used without reducing the accuracy of noise measurements.

The Noise Sensor incorporates a 1.2 meter microphone pole, allowing the microphone to be positioned in free space, well away from any obstructions. A variety of mounting methods make the device simple to fit on any building or structure. The sensor hardware is based on a well-established Cirrus design that has been proven in harsh weather conditions around the world for many years.

To ensure that the sensitive microphone transducer is always in good condition, it is fitted with an electrostatic actuator calibrator. This can be used to make regular fixed-point calibrations of the entire measuring chain, thus verifying data integrity. The device can be set to measure Fast or Slow time-weighted Sound Pressure Level with “A”, “C” or “Z” frequency weighting to Class 1 standards. A unique prescaling calibration system allows any 65dB span in the range 20 to 130dB to be selected by the user.