PDEng position Noise reduction for ventilation systems with heat exchangers at the University of Twente (Holland)

The project aims at the reduction of noise produced by ventilation systems with heat exchangers, and is part of the Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) programme Energy & Process Technology. This 2-year post-MSc programme contains a design project and an educational part that will be followed at the University. The design project is carried out in close cooperation with Brink Climate Systems. The educational programme will have an in-depth and broadening character with ample attention for professional development and will be partly tailored to the design project. In collaboration with Brink Climate Systems, new and robust designs for reduced noise in ventilation systems will be aimed at.

PDEng Design Project
Brink Climate Systems is active on the European market as producer of ventilation systems with heat recovery. Important drivers for improved ventilation systems in houses are comfort and saving of energy. Saving of energy is obtained by using a heat exchanger which is able to exchange a large proportion of the energy in the return air with the energy of the fresh air coming from outside. The level of the noise produced by these systems is crucial for the acceptance by the users. If the noise level is too high then many users reduce the amount of ventilation to lower levels. In some cases this will lead to insufficient ventilation with possible consequences regarding health. The noise sources are mechanical vibrations due to the fan, the acoustic pressure generated by the action of the impeller in air and the turbulence of the air in the ducts. The acoustic pressure in the ducts can become audible though the air supply vents. The mechanical vibrations and acoustic pressure in the ventilation unit can be transmitted to the housing of the ventilation unit, leading to acoustic radiation of the ventilation unit itself. In this PDEng project, the objective is to reduce both the noise radiated from the ventilation unit and the noise radiated from the air supply vents. The options to reduce the noise are: reduction of noise generation by the fan, reduction of noise radiation by the case by using different shapes and materials, reduction of aero-acoustic noise and absorption of aero-acoustic noise. Noise in the ducts can be attenuated by using acoustic dampers. Standard acoustic dampers are big when they are to be effective at low frequencies. The objective is to design an appliance which emits significantly lower noise levels. In the case that the noise level at the air supply vents still surpasses the acceptable level, the design of smaller and modular dampers effective at lower frequencies may become part of the assignment.

Closing Date: 15-12-2015

Further details:
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