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SMALL COMPANY USES SPACE TECHNOLOGY TO QUIET NOISY AIR MOTORS IN REFINERIES, FACTORIES

Mufflers for air motors tested through Technology Outreach Program (TOP)

Click here to view a news report on PSI's Safety Silencer

HOUSTON - As a result of the NASA/Clear Lake Area Economic Development Foundation (CLAEDF) Technology Outreach Program (TOP), testing technology normally used to protect astronauts' ears in the International Space Station helps a small company protect workers' ears here on Earth. Air motors are critical for many manufacturing operations. Unlike electric motors, air motors can be exposed to combustible materials without creating an explosion hazard because they don't generate sparks or excessive heat. For that reason, they're often used in refineries, mines, chemical plants and factories. But air motors generate a different kind of workplace hazard: noise. Without mufflers, air motor noise can easily exceed an ear-splitting 115 decibels. That was the problem facing Bob Arnett.

Arnett is general manager of PSI Automation in Houston, a small company that manufactures and markets air motors for a variety of industrial applications, including regulating valves in oil refineries and operating giant lifts in aircraft manufacturing plants. "If you've ever heard the racket made by pneumatic wrenches when you've had tires put on your car, you know that air motors can be noisy," Arnett says. "Our motors are often much larger. We wanted to know which muffler, or sound silencer, was most effective. We also wanted to know exactly where the noise was coming from." Arnett turned to the TOP, sponsored by NASA and CLAEDF. The TOP is designed to speed the transfer of space technology to the private sector by providing free technological assistance to local small businesses. Made up of a group of 20 companies, universities, colleges and NASA departments, the TOP finds professionals within these companies who volunteer their time and expertise in solving the challenges brought forth by the inquiring businesses. Through the TOP, PSI Automation was matched up with NASA contractor Johnson Engineering. Johnson's parent company, Spacehab Corp., is responsible for many shuttle payloads, as well as some of the truss structures of the International Space Station. Acoustics engineer Gregory Pilkinton was the team leader in assisting PSI Automation with assessing the noise generated by the air motors.

Pilkinton used a high-tech sound analyzer and microphones normally used to test the sound levels generated by equipment for the International Space Station. "Most people don't realize that it's important to test the sound levels made by equipment on the space station. They assume that there is no noise in space," Pilkinton says. "But the astronauts inside the station are exposed to machinery noise 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We use the sound analyzers to make sure the equipment doesn't threaten the astronauts' hearing." Pilkinton and his team brought the equipment to PSI Automation's plant at Seabrook in the Clear Lake area. They ran extensive tests on two different mufflers, including a brand-new design. The mufflers were attached to two different types of air motors: PSI's DVA and DV10 series. The tests showed that the newer design was much more effective at blocking sound. At certain frequencies, the new two-chamber muffling system reduced noise from approximately 117 decibels to 78 decibels. The tests also indicated that the motor blades were generating much of the noise problem. After the testing and analysis, Pilkinton and his team delivered a 13-page report to a grateful Arnett. "Through the Technology Outreach Program and Johnson Engineering, we've learned a lot about design solutions for making the motors quieter," Arnett says, "and we've already acted on the suggestions. The results showed we were on the right track with the new safety silencer." For more information on the TOP or to apply for assistance, call Cathy Kramer at CLAEDF at (281) 486-5535.

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