Noise suppression enclosure for an engine

• US 5,297,517 A
• Filed: 08/19/1991
• Issued: 03/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Brandt, Everett G., Christensen, M. Kathryn, Sahm, W. Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamen, Noah P.
• Application Number:
  US07/721,422
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 123/198 E, 123/2, 181/204, 181/290, 181/206
• US Class Current: 123/198.00F
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 77/13 Acoustic insulation

Abstract

Most existing noise reduction enclosures used with engines and engine driven equipment have failed to meet the reduced noise emission requirements of today and of the future. A few of the present enclosures meet the reduced noise emission requirements of today and of the future but are extremely expensive to purchase and are large bulky structures. The subject enclosure (10) is reasonably priced and provides an enclosure which is effective in reducing the noise emitted therefrom. The enclosure (10) includes a housing (32) having a generally rectangular configuration and being divided into an engine portion (56) defining an engine compartment (57) and a duct portion (54). The outlet ducts (88) having a length greater than the inlet ducts (84). To further enhance the noise reduction of the enclosure (10) a plurality of dynastic hardware is attached to the housing (32).

Claims

1. A noise reduction enclosure (10) adapted for use with an engine (14);

said noise reduction enclosure (10) comprising;

a housing (32) having a generally rectangular shape surrounding the engine (14) and being divided into a duct portion (54) and an engine portion (56) defining an engine compartment (57), said housing (32) further including a plurality of formed sheet material skins (34) attached one to another, said sheet material skins (34) being relatively thin and at least a portion thereof having an inlet opening (50) and an outlet opening (52) therein, each of said plurality of skins (34) having an interior surface of which at least a portion of the interior surfaces are adjacent the engine (14);

a damping material (100) and an absorptive material (102) being fixedly attached to at least a portion of the interior surfaces;

an outlet duct (88) being positioned in the duct portion (54) having a preestablished length through which the cooling medium (82) flows, said outlet duct (88) interconnecting the outlet opening (52) through which said cooling medium (82) exits and the engine compartment (57);

an inlet duct (84) being positioned in the duct position (54) between the outlet duct (88) and the engine compartment (57) having a preestablished length through which said cooling medium (82) flows, said inlet duct (84) interconnecting the inlet opening (50) through which said cooling medium (82) enters and the engine compartment (57); and

said preestablished length of said outlet duct (88) being a greater length than the preestablished length of the inlet duct (84).

2. The noise reduction enclosure (18) of claim 1 wherein each of said inlet and outlet ducts (84,88) have a generally square cross-sectional configuration along substantially the entire length of the ducts (84,88).

3. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein said housing (32) includes a plurality of sheet metal skins (34) having a thickness of between about 2.5 mm to 4 mm.

4. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 3 wherein said plurality of sheet metal skins (34) has a thickness of about 3.5 mm.

5. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein said absorptive material (102) is an acoustic foam having a preestablished thickness of between about 20 mm to 60 mm.

6. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein said absorptive material (102) is a fiberglass material having a preestablished thickness of between about 20 mm to 60 mm.

7. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said absorptive material (102) has a preestablished thickness of about 25.4 mm.

8. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said absorptive material (102) has a preestablished thickness of about 50.8 mm.

9. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein said inlet duct (84) includes a partition (85) positioned within the inlet duct (84) dividing the inlet duct (84) into a pair of generally square cross-sectionally configured inlet ducts (84) and said outlet duct (88) includes a partition (89) positioned within the outlet duct (88) dividing the outlet duct (88) into a pair of generally square cross-sectionally configured outlet ducts (88).

10. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein said sheet material skins (34) forming said inlet duct (84) and said sheet material skins (34) forming said outlet duct (88) each includes a curved portion (87,91) interposed the inlet opening (50,52) and the engine compartment (57) of the respective inlet duct (84) and the outlet duct (88) and said curved portion (87,91) has a 90 degree angle.

11. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein said engine compartment (57) includes a cooling medium (82) flowing therethrough, said engine compartment (57) further including a plurality of turning vanes (92) guidingly directing said cooling medium (82).

12. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein said sheet material skins (34) forming the housing (32) includes a side wall (36) and said inlet opening (50) is positioned in the side wall (36).

13. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 1 wherein said sheet material skins (34) forming the housing (32) includes an end wall (38) and said outlet opening (52) is positioned in the end wall (38).

14. An engine (14) having a noise reduction enclosure (10) positioned therearound, said engine (14) including a cooling system (60) having a heat exchanger (62) connected to the engine (14) for dissipating the heat generated by said engine (14), said heat exchanger (62) having a coolant therein being circulated through the heat exchanger (62) and the engine (14) by a circulating means (66), and a fan (72) drivingly connected to said engine (14) forcing a cooling medium (82) through the heat exchange (62) to dissipate heat from the cooling flowing therethrough;

said noise reduction enclosure (10) comprising;

a housing (32) having a generally rectangular shape surrounding the engine (14), said housing (32) including an engine portion (56) defining an engine compartment (57) and a plurality of sheet material skins (34) each having an interior surface thereon of which at least a portion of the interior surfaces are adjacent the engine (14);

a damping material (100) and an absorptive material (102) being fixedly attached to at least a portion of the interior surfaces;

said housing (32) further including an inlet opening (50) and an outlet opening (52) within at least a portion of the sheet material skins (32);

an outlet duct (88) being positioned in the duct portion (57) having a preestablished length through which said cooling medium (82) flows, said outlet duct (88) interconnecting the outlet opening (52) through which said cooling medium (82) exits and the engine compartment (57);

an inlet duct (84) being positioned in the duct portion (54) between the outlet duct (88) and the engine compartment (57) having a preestablished length through which said cooling medium (82) flows, said inlet duct (84) interconnecting the inlet opening (50) through which said cooling medium (82) enters and the engine compartment (57); and

said preestablished length of said outlet duct (88) being a greater length than the preestablished length of said inlet duct (84).

15. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein said inlet duct (84) includes a partition (85) positioned within the inlet duct (84) dividing the inlet duct (84) into a pair of generally square cross-sectionally configured inlet ducts (84) and said outlet duct (88) includes a partition (89) positioned within the outlet duct (88) dividing the outlet duct (88) into a pair of generally square cross-sectionally configured ducts (88).

16. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein said plurality of sheet metal skins (34) have a thickness of between about 2.5 mm to 4 mm.

17. The engine (14) of claim 16 wherein said plurality of sheet metal skins (34) has a thickness of about 3.5 mm.

18. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein said absorptive material (102) is an acoustic foam having a preestablished thickness of between about 20 mm to 60 mm.

19. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein said absorptive material (102) is a fiberglass material having a preestablished thickness of between about 20 mm to 60 mm.

20. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of said absorptive material (102) has a preestablished thickness of about 25.4 mm.

21. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of said absorptive material (102) has a preestablished thickness of about 50.8 mm.

22. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein said sheet material skins (34) forming said inlet duct (84) and said sheet material skins (34) forming said outlet duct (88) each include a curved portion (87,91) interposed the inlet opening (50,52) and the engine compartment (57) of the respective inlet duct (84) and the outlet duct (88) and said curved portion (87,91) has a 90 degree angle.

23. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein said engine compartment (57) includes a cooling medium (82) flowing therethrough, said engine compartment (57) further including a plurality of turning vanes (92) guidingly directing said cooling medium (82).

24. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein said sheet material skins (34) forming the housing (32) includes a side wall (36) and said inlet opening (50) is positioned in the side wall (36).

25. The engine (14) of claim 14 wherein said sheet material skins (34) forming the housing (32) includes an end wall (38) and said outlet opening (52) is positioned in the end wall (38).

26. The engine (14) of claim 14 further including the fan (72) being attached to the engine (14) and a shroud (78) positioned about the fan (72) and being attached to the engine (14).

27. The engine (14) of claim 26 wherein said shroud (78) has a conical configuration.

28. A noise reduction enclosure 10) adapted for use with an engine (14), said engine (14) emitting noise and having a cooling medium (82) flowing therearound;

said noise reduction enclosure (10) comprising;

a housing (32) having an engine portion (56) defining an engine compartment (57) and being formed from a plurality of sheet material skins (34), said housing (32) having a generally rectangular shape surrounding the engine (14), each of said plurality of sheet material skins (34) having an interior surface of which at least a portion of the interior surfaces are adjacent the engine (14);

a damping material (100) and an absorption material (102) being fixedly attached to at least a portion of the interior surfaces;

said sheet material skins (34) forming the housing (32) being relatively thin and at least a portion thereof having an inlet opening (50) and an outlet opening (52) therein;

an outlet duct (88) being positioned in the duct portion (54) and having a preestablished length, said outlet duct (88) interconnecting the outlet opening (52) through which said cooling medium (82) exits and the engine compartment (57);

an inlet duct (84) being positioned in the duct portion (54) between the outlet duct (88) and the engine compartment (57) and having a predetermined length, said inlet duct (84) interconnecting the inlet opening (50) through which said cooling medium (82) enters and the engine compartment (57);

said inlet duct (84) and said outlet duct (88) having a generally square cross-sectional configuration and said preestablished length of the outlet duct (88) being a greater length than said preestablished length of said inlet duct (84); and

means (120) for actively reducing noise emitted from said engine (14) being connected to the housing (32) and positioned in the outlet duct (88).

29. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 28 wherein said means (12) for actively reducing noise includes a plurality of dynastic hardware (122), each of said dynastic hardware (122) including a speaker (124) attached to the outlet duct (88) and having noise waves emitted therefrom, said noise waves emitted therefrom cancelling noise emitted from the engine (14) being carried by the cooling medium (82) flowing therethrough.

30. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 29 wherein said dynastic hardware (122) further including a control means (130) for determining the level of the noise waves emitted from the speaker (124) and controlling the noise waves emitted therefrom.

31. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 28 wherein said plurality of sheet material skins (34) forming the housing (32) has a thickness of between about 2.5 mm to 4 mm.

32. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 31 wherein said plurality of sheet material skins (34) has a thickness of about 3.5 mm.

33. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 28 wherein said absorptive material (102) is an acoustic foam having a preestablished thickness of between about 20 mm to 60 mm.

34. The engine (14) of claim 28 wherein said absorptive material (102) is a fiberglass material having a preestablished thickness of between about 20 mm to 60 mm.

35. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 28 wherein at least a portion of said absorptive material (102) has a preestablished thickness of about 25.4 mm.

36. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 28 wherein at least a portion of said absorptive material (102) has a preestablished thickness of about 50.8 mm.

37. The noise reduction enclosure of claim 28 wherein said plurality of sheet material skins (34) forming said inlet duct (84) and said outlet duct (88) include a curved portion (87,91) interposed the inlet opening (50,52) and the engine compartment (57) of the respective inlet duct (84) and the outlet duct (88) and said curved portion (87,91) having a 90 degree angle.

38. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 28 wherein said engine compartment (57) includes a plurality of turning vanes (92) guidingly directing said cooling medium (82).

39. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 28 wherein said plurality of sheet material skins (34) forming the housing (32) includes a side wall (36) and said inlet opening (50) is positioned in the side wall (36).

40. The noise reduction enclosure (10) of claim 28 wherein said plurality of sheet material skins (34) forming the housing (32) includes an end wall (38) and said outlet opening (52) is positioned in the end wall (38).