IMPORTANT PROJECTS
1. The Crockett Cogeneration Project
This project consists of a 233 MW-$100 million dollar cogeneration plant addition to the facilities of the C&H Sugar Company located in Crockett, California. The plant generates steam for the C&H manufacturing process and approximately 233 MW of electrical power, some of which is used by C&H, with the balance sold to the grid. The project was controversial and vehemently opposed by the Town of Crockett residents and environmental groups. Dense residential was located across the street from the proposed plant and on a hillside overlooking C&H. Hessler Associates (HAI) was hired to represent the owner before the Town and the California Energy Commission (CEC) in regard to noise. HAI conducted community workshops on noise fundamentals and facts with the citizens and organized opposition groups. HAI recommended to the owner that the plant be designed to a goal 3 dbA below the State requirements, which was accepted. Noise became acceptable to the opposition and the CEC. The plant was approved by the CEC and constructed. HAI provided noise abatement design reviews and certification testing at the completion of construction. The installation is totally compatible with the residential community.
2. Large SCCT Low Frequency Noise Projects
Hessler Associates has decades of experience with low frequency noise (LFN) issues associated with aero-derivative and heavy duty gas turbines, and has earned a fine reputation as an independent to designer of ultra-quiet LFN exhaust systems for critical installations. Representative projects:- Design of special LFN exhaust system designs for critical projects with the exhaust system design removed from the OEM supplier’s scope of supply.
- Corrective design of existing installations to reduce LFN to compliance limits.
- Design of exhaust systems to replace the original silencer designs found to be totally inadequate.
- Hessler Associates has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers on excessive LFN and recommended LFN criteria.
- Expert advice for planned and existing facilities regarding LFN issues.
3. The Athens Power 1000 MW Generation Project
This project consists of a nominal 1000 MW -$500M gas turbine based power-generating facility located in Greene County, New York near the Town of Athens, NY. HAI was contracted by the developer, PG&E Energy Projects to conduct a baseline ambient sound survey, predict the sound emissions from the proposed facility with computer modeling, and to design the plant to minimize any adverse noise impact. These tasks were completed with a three-season sound survey and assessment of impact upon the existing noise environment in accordance with State requirements. HAI testified before the New York State Department of Environmental Protection (NYSDEP). The NYS representative testified that the PG&E application on noise was judged “excellent”. HAI was then contracted by the project Engineering Procurement Contractor, Bechtel Corp. (EPC) to provide detail noise abatement design. The project was tested and certified to comply with all New York State requirements at completion.
4. University of California at San Francisco (UCSF)
The University contracted with HAI to provide an independent sound measurement survey and analysis of a recently completed energy facility at their San Francisco Hospital Campus. The university was engaged in a dispute with the plant’s contractor on noise level compliance. HAI did a four-day detail survey to characterize all of the major component sources of noise from the facility and monitored far-field noise emissions over the four-day period. A computer model was created, using the near field source strengths to compute far-field emissions. Agreement between the measured and computed far field levels was excellent providing an accurate analytical model of the facility. It was found that noise emissions exceeded contract limits, and the University hired HAI for additional services to bring the plant into compliance.
5. The Millennium Project
The project is located in Charlton, Massachusetts and is a complete CCCT project, spanning pre-construction impact analysis, and acoustic design including 85-foot high boiler barrier walls, construction and certification testing. An interesting problem arises when a facility is successfully designed to emit sound that is very nearly equal or lower than existing conditions, i.e. the ambient levels. It is very nearly impossible to measure or separate the facility sound from normally present environmental sound. Even so, the State permitting authority, in this case the Massachusetts Power Plant Siting Board requires certification. For this project unique testing techniques were developed and negotiated with the State to prove compliance, which was granted by the State.
6. Blue Sky/Green Field Wind Turbine Project
The project is located in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin and is typical of some forty wind projects carried out by Hessler Associates. The project size is over 9500 acres with approximately 140 MW of modern wind turbines. Hessler Associates completed a pre-construction ambient noise level survey to define existing conditions, computer assisted noise prediction modeling, an EIS analysis and report, expert witness testimony before the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, and a post-construction measurement survey to document compliance with noise performance conditions.