Q. Will the sound vibrations damage equipment?A. No. Acoustic energy emitted by BHA Powerwave® acoustic cleaners is at frequencies greater than 60 Hz. This is well above the natural (resonant) frequency of most structures. Since 1983, there have been thousands of BHA Powerwave acoustic cleaners installed worldwide, without a single case of structural damage to equipment. Q. How do I know which acoustic cleaner to use and where to place it?A. The selection of an acoustic cleaner for any given application is affected by many variables. These include the amount of area to be cleaned, the temperature of the process, the process gas conditions, and the type of particulate being cleaned are just some of the criteria to be considered. Placement of the acoustic cleaner is also important to ensure buildup areas are properly addressed. For best results, a full evaluation of the process and application must be made prior to purchasing and installing the acoustic cleaners. Qualified and experienced members of the GE acoustic product team are available to evaluate your system and recommend the best solution. Q. What are the typical ambient noise levels?A. The ambient noise increase during the sounding of an acoustic cleaner will vary greatly by application. For example, the ambient noise of an acoustic cleaner being sounded in a thin wall storage bin will be louder than an acoustic cleaner being sounded in a well-insulated boiler. Typically, the intermittent operation of the acoustic cleaner will not increase the ambient noise enough to qualify the area as a hearing protection area. This is based on OSHA Permissible Noise Limits. Q. What applications can benefit from acoustic cleaning?A. Any application that is suffering from buildup and/or flow problems caused by dry particulate deposits will benefit from acoustic cleaning. Acoustic cleaners also require gravity and/or gas flow to sweep away the particulate that has been resonated or fluidized by the acoustic energy. Q. How much regular maintenance does an acoustic horn require?A. BHA Powerwave acoustic cleaners require no regular maintenance. Once installed, the unit will operate unattended. There is only one moving part (diaphragm), which has a life expectancy of 2 to 5 years depending on the sounding requirements of the acoustic cleaner. In most applications, the diaphragm can be replaced while the equipment is on line. Q. What are the air requirements of an acoustic horn?A. The air requirements for sounding a BHA Powerwave acoustic cleaner will vary slightly from model to model. The air pressure requirements will range from 50 to 90 PSI. The airflow rate will vary from 60 to 80 SCFM. It is important to note that the acoustic cleaners are not operated continuously. They are typically operated for several seconds every few minutes. Based on an operating cycle of ten seconds every ten minutes, an acoustic cleaner will consume less than two SCF per minute. |