A few months ago, the FAQ n°4 came up and left with many unanswered questions: where and how does the noise come from on board of a yacht? And how is it transmitted on board?
In this yachting world, only “noise” types are allowed: the wind and sea sounds.
In the common language, the words sound (with a pleasant meaning) and “noise” are different; in technical fields, i.e. physics and engineering, too. Both terms are pressure waves propagating through the air: they can be harmonious (like a beautiful song’s notes) or annoying (like engine room noise, just giving a well-known and fitting example).
When we listen to a good song, we are hit by pressure waves featured by frequencies with well-defined proportionality laws; if we talk about noises, the frequency components are not connected or don’t meet the typical music standard.
From a physiological point of view, some frequencies, below 20 Hz, are not perceived by ears but are felt by the body. Some of them stress the spine, others the bowels, and still others the arms or neck: these are stimulations that cause fatigue and discomfort. This is why we often talk about vibrational comfort goals. If they are not reached, some long-term effects can affect.
There are many reasons why, during the yacht project, a significant engineering session is fully dedicated to vibro-acoustic design:
1 – Crew Safety and Performance
Noise and vibrations can represent a real challenge for the crew, who works long hours with the primary aim of ensuring the safety and comfort to passengers. A noisy environment has effects on general communication, reduce the attention during fundamental operations, and even compromise the ability to promptly answer to emergencies. Prolonged vibrations can stress the body and cause chronic conditions.
2 – Passenger Comfort
Yachts are designed for privacy and relax, but noise compromises this experience, causing stress and discomfort, ruining a dream vacation.
3 – Respect for the marine environment
Reducing noise on board yachts is not only about human comfort. It is also fundamental for the marine environment. Whales and dolphins use sound to communicate, navigate, and hunt. Excessive noise from vessels can interfere with these vital processes, disturbing sensitive marine ecosystems and causing stress and disorientation.
4 – Regulatory compliance
Many jurisdictions are implementing stricter regulations regarding boat noise emissions thanks to increasing attention to environmental and sustainability issues.
Noise origins
Noise is primarily originated in the engine room (but not only!), where the yacht propulsion and technical equipment are located, and it spreads around in two ways:
1 – Airborne transmission: Noise propagates as a mechanical vibration of an object through the air, for example, from the engines to the vessel structures in the engine room, and then again through the air to the surrounding environments. For airborne noise, sound-absorbing panels can be considered a good solution.
2 – Structural transmission: Vibrations, generated by the propulsion system or rotating machinery, are transferred to the yacht, spreading low-frequency structural noise through the structures. Insulating panels are ineffective against this type of noise.
Then, what can we do?
If you have questions and would like to discuss specific topics, contact us: [email protected]
Vulkan auscultates and supports
– FAQ n.1 What is a hybrid vessel?
– FAQ n.2 Is a yacht always COMFORTable?
– FAQ n.3 Does rubber get old?
– FAQ n.4 What does COMFORT means?
– FAQ n.5 Is there only 1 hybrid?
– FAQ n.5 BIS Is there only one hybrid?
– FAQ n.6 Batteries on a trip toward safety, autonomy and sustainability
– FAQ n.7. Are you yachting comfortably?
– FAQ n.8. Noise is keeping me awake: what can I do?
– FAQ n.9. To erase noise, you need rubber!
– FAQ n.10. If you don’t think about maintenance… your yacht will do it for you (when you least expect it!)
– FAQ n.11. Do you think of maintenance?
(Vulkan auscultates and supports, FAQ n.7. Are you yachting comfortably? – Barchemagazine.com – August 2024)
