Hodgson & Hodgson Scores A First With Transportable Acoustics

Hodgson & Hodgson’s brief was to design and manufacture 15 transportable acoustic enclosures for use in power generation applications in some of the most remote and challenging environments in the world. The enclosures, which are installed and operated in sets of three, house the power-generating diesel engines plus skid units and other associated machinery and equipment. The innovative design will enable the units to be stripped down when their use at one location is at an end, after which they may be relocated to another part of the world.

Hodgson & Hodgson’s wealth of experience and technical expertise were also strong factors in the success of its tender. Consequently, once the contract was won, the company was able to design a bespoke solution that met all operational and environmental requirements. Hodgson & Hodgson designed and built not just the enclosure but also the ducting system, access platform, electric control panels, ventilation system and lights.

“This was an intriguing and challenging project to work on,” says Tom Doyle, Project Manager at Hodgson & Hodgson. “The design of the acoustic enclosures is very novel and we believe we are the first company to produce such a large unit capable of being broken down, flat-packed and shipped in 40-foot freight containers. A significant factor in the design is the totally interchangeable exterior panels, which make break-down and reassembly very straightforward.”

The creation of these portable ‘power stations’ could be of enormous benefit to the developing world: not only can the engines be configured to burn a particular type of oil, enabling them to make use of local resources. The only requirement for successful erection of the enclosures is a concrete base. This simplicity eliminates the need to build a conventional power station and the flat-packed system can be easily containerised and relocated.

Hodgson & Hodgson offers a total design, manufacture and installation service of acoustic building and industrial products, with nine manufacturing and administration locations in the UK. The Group’s Consultancy Division provides advice on all aspects of architectural acoustics and noise and vibration control.