It's Oh so Quiet at Dupont's Sabine River Works Plant

When DuPont’s Sabine River Works facility in Orange, Texas underwent a three-week shutdown, it was anxious to replace the silencer on its booster compressor, which had been emitting an “ear-piercing noise” – measuring over 100 dBA from nearly 1,000 feet away – for several months. CCI was quick to respond to this need with a customized solution to the noisy problem.

CCI was able to rise to the occasion and expedited its delivery time to supply the replacement vent resistor within the short three-week timeframe allowed by DuPont, combating the plant’s noise dilemma with CCI’s proven DRAG® velocity control technology. The multiple right-angle turns in the DRAG® disk stack, which allow pressure to be let down in several stages, eliminated the high pressure drop across each stage and thereby squelched the plant’s troublesome noise. When using such technology, CCI accurately determines how many stages an application requires based on its pressure drop, flow rate, temperature, and fluid and noise requirements. In this case, CCI designed its solution for 672 PSIG pressure at 10,000 pounds per hour and 740°F to lower the noise levels to 85 dBA at all flow conditions.

Silencers, which are sections of ducts or pipe intended to reduce the transmission of sound, are more traditional solutions to high noise problems. Although silencers may be available at a lower cost, they can present challenges in some instances. For example, if they are extremely large, they may require a concrete base, special cranes for lifting, and extra supports for piping.

In contrast, CCI’s DRAG® technology-based solutions have a compact design and require minimal space for installation. While a comparable silencer can measure 69” high, the vent resistor installed at the Sabine River Works facility measures only 8” high. The smaller size of the CCI resistor makes it much easier to transport and install, requiring only one person to maneuver it. The smaller design also takes up less space in the plant and requires less structural support. What is more, CCI’s DRAG® technology thwarts the very creation of sound without using acoustical absorption material that tends to disintegrate with age. Constructed of stainless steel, CCI’s vent resistor is sturdy and maintenance free, saving the customer the expense of repairs or replacements.

CCI’s vent resistor so efficiently reduced the noise levels at the Sabine River Works facility that Senior Mechanical Engineer Lou J. Trahan was unaware that the ethylene booster was up and running. Trahan commented, “When I came in on the morning we were supposed to run the booster, I saw the steam plume, but never heard the noise and had to ask if the booster was warming up or had it been put on-line and was told, ‘It’s warming up and we can’t even tell’ and thought the supervisor was going to give me a hug!” Based on this enthusiastic response to a job well done, CCI may implement additional noise-reducing solutions at DuPont’s Sabine River Works facility.

Published in Solutions Winter 2003