Reduction of Boiler Feed Pump Noise in an 800 MW Coal-Fired Generating Unit

Boiler feed pumps are potentially dominant noise sources in a power plant -- they typically produce high levels of noise with a tonal character and are sometimes located in an area of the plant where a significant number of personnel are exposed. A case is described where the boiler feed pump noise was successfully reduced from 102 dBA to 89 dBA at 5 feet. The pump was driven by an auxiliary turbine using low- pressure steam and was located in the turbine hall adjacent to the control room.