An Experimental Investigation of Enclosure’s Effect on Noise Reduction in Portable Generators (Technical Note)

The portable generators are the main means of compensating the shortage of national electricity power as in Iraq. However, their noise causes a huge disturbance, uncomforting and loss of concentration of the nearby resident. This problem requires a solution because most shops and residential houses use generators. Covering method is a simple and relatively low cost one for reduction of generators noise.  In the present study, an experimental investigation is conducted for evaluating the effect of using an enclosure on noise reduction of portable generators. The enclosure is made from some available and traditional materials such as foam and plywood. The sound transmission loss due to the use of enclosure is estimated for a wide range of frequency spectrum and the results showed that used enclosure helps in reduction of noise effectively. Furthermore, it was found that the generator temperature was not affected much by the use of the present enclosure. The present study is intended to be a step stone for a development of a low cost and effective commercial enclosure of portable generator.