Assessment of the acoustic field in the vicinity of urban high-voltage substations

Abstract

This manuscript studies the sound pressure levels resulting from the operation of electrical substations in areas of considerable urban density. Although it is not possible to completely eliminate the acoustic noise generated by high voltage transformers, since it results from the natural phenomenon of magnetostriction, which is intrinsic to the operation of any transformer, the work shows that it is possible to adjust the sound pressure level to the limits imposed by the environmental legislation. As part of the strategy, the work recommends, as a first action, to eliminate the tonal component of the noise, since its presence in the frequency spectrum causes discomfort to the human ear and penalizes the measured levels by + 5 dB. The work also shows that it is not trivial to discuss the impact of the acoustic noise generated by substations in urban communities that generate their own noises, even with a higher intensity.

Keywords

• Pressure sound level
• Environmental noise
• Electrical substation
• Sound limits
• Environmental legislation