Introduction: There are instances where noise from above ground gas pipework has been the cause of complaints from neighbours of some National Grid Gas Sites.

The current practise of lagging the pipework with noise insulation is effective but can cause access, maintainability and corrosion problems.

This project will be innovative in that it will, in one carefully managed arena, be assessing all aspects of vibration and noise generation, transmission and propagation, and noise radiation, and may therefore include solutions in the following areas:

• Methods to reduce the noise at source, and thereby reduce turbulence in the pipework, e.g. through use of low noise trim regulators, flow straighteners internal to the pipe etc.

• External pipework treatments, e.g. constrained layer damping, alternative acoustic lagging materials.

Objectives:

To deliver a series of reports relating to Pipeline Noise Mitigation covering:

• Tests and subsequent results of a selection of different noise mitigation technologies,
• Identification of a new technique, or techniques, that could be put forward to become a “Best Available Technique”,
• Recommendations for further actions.

Expected Benefits: Success will have been achieved when the reports for each phase of the project have been received and agreed.