The City of Duhok, Kurdistan region of Iraq, whilst has been subjected to persistent fast development and urbanization and expansion of economy, travel and tourism, it is still suffering from the shortage of public electricity supply since 1990. This leads to widely depending on diesel electricity generators. This study investigates diesel generators noise pollution in Duhok city. An empirical correlation formula was deduced for the mean noise level of 30 diesel generator sites as a function of distance for the 50 meters range, and then this correlation is extrapolated up to 80 m from the sites. The results showed that the measured mean noise level at 50 m from the generator sites was 74.86 dB(A) which is higher than the permissible noise level for residential and commercial areas that are 55 dB(A) and 65 dB(A) respectively, while it is near the industrial areas which equals 75 dB(A). On making the extrapolation to the empirical formula to compare distance up to 80 m from the sites, the extrapolated mean noise level reduced to 71.1 dB(A) which is still beyond the permissible noise level for residential and commercial areas

FARIS A. KOCHERY

MANAF A. MAHAMMED

MOHAMMED S. ABDULKHALIQ

Science Journal of University of Zakho

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Journal of University of Zakho (JUOZ), Vol.1, (A) No.1, Pp.319-324, 2013                913 INVESTIGATION OF NOISE POLLUTION OF ELECTRICAL DIESEL GENERATORS IN DUHOK CITY/ KURDISTAN OF IRAQ  MANAF A. MAHAMMED1, FARIS A. KOCHERY1, MOHAMMED S. ABDULKHALIQ2 1Dept. of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Duhok, Kurdistan Region-Iraq 2School of Planning, Faculty of Engineering, University of Duhok, Kurdistan Region-Iraq (Accepted for publication: June 9, 2013)   ABSTRACT The City of Duhok, Kurdistan region of Iraq, whilst has been subjected to persistent fast development and urbanization and expansion of economy, travel and tourism, it is still suffering from the shortage of public electricity supply since 1990. This leads to widely depending on diesel electricity generators. This study investigates diesel generators noise pollution in Duhok city. An empirical correlation formula was deduced for the mean noise level of 30 diesel generator sites as a function of distance for the 50 meters range, and then this correlation is extrapolated up to 80 m from the sites. The results showed that the measured mean noise level at 50 m from the generator sites was 74.86 dB(A) which is higher than the permissible noise level for residential and commercial areas that are 55 dB(A) and 65 dB(A) respectively, while it is near the industrial areas which equals 75 dB(A). On making the extrapolation to the empirical formula to compare distance up to 80 m from the sites, the extrapolated mean noise level reduced to 71.1 dB(A) which is still beyond the permissible noise level for residential and commercial areas.   KEYWORDS: Noise level, pollution, diesel generators, dB(A), permissible noise   INTRODUCTION oise, is defined as unwanted sound that causes various health effects (Paul, 1993). People prefer to live in places far from noisy urban areas (Yılmaz and Özer, 1998). Existing evidence indicating that noise pollution may have negative impacts on human health has justified researches in order to provide better understanding of noise pollution problems and control (Georgiadouet al., 2004). Noise pollution has been stated as a serious health hazard (Bies and Hansen, 1996).After 1991, the electricity in Iraq in general and in Kurdistan region in particular have faced many problems that caused the national electricity hours available to be reduced especially in cold winter and hot summer months. The local government was forced to depend on other sources of electricity. Private Diesel generators were one of these choices that have covered the basic needs of the people. On the other hand, these generators have many negative effects and impacts like environmental pollution, visual pollution, noise pollution, etc.The majorityof existing diesel generators are assembled by connecting old technology diesel engines of vehicles like (Man, Volvo, Mercrdes, Scania, Albe, etc) with high KVA dynamos without taking into account the noise pollution that may cause a great challenge to the environment in Duhok city. So it is expected that these generators will be noisy and they may cause many harmful effects on habitants living nearby the generating sites. One of the main sources of noise pollution in Duhok city is due to using huge numbers of generators (Yousif, 2010).  Karim (Karim, 2011) measured the noise caused by 27 diesel generator sites in Duhok city and suggested to replace them with solar system.The expected various harmful effects of noise on human beings may be:Reduces work efficiency, affects the speech communication, may cause induces loss of hearing ability, causes psychological strain and mental fatigue,  may damage the heart, increases the cholesterol level in the blood, dilates the blood vessels of the brain, upsets the chemical balance of the body, causes headache, nausea and general feeling of uneasiness, induces errors in ‘motor’ performance, induces psychosis and acute mental agony (Zakhmi, 2009).  MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty of those generator sites were selected covering Duhok city center. The noise level was measured for those 30 diesel generators sites for the period of (20) days, beginning from 22 /2 /2012 until 14/3/2012. After this date, the electric power supplied by the public network was almost continuous with little intermittences. The noise level generated by these diesel generators was measured as a function of distance from the generators. Measurements N Journal of University of Zakho (JUOZ), Vol.1, (A) No.1, Pp.319-324, 2013                923 were done at selected distances ranging from five meters (5 m) up to fifty meters (50 m) in steps of five meters (5 m). All distances were measured using ordinary fifty meters (50 m) tape meter. The noise level was measured using LYBOLDHand-held Sound Level Meter (Phonmeter) with measuring range: 20 ... 135 dB and audible-weighted (dB(A)). Theaudible-weighted (dB(A)).  Table(1): Generating sites and number of diesel units Site Name No. of Diesel units SagvanRekani, Maher Qomri, Al-Nejjar 1, Adeeb, RezgarBetkary one Bekhal company 1, Abdulkhaliq, Media, Gree base 1, K.R.O 2, Gree base 3,Gree base 4, Nizarki village two Matin, Bekhal company 3, Shiva shorki, Ahmed Gulli,Jameia 1,Shakhke, Takhe Reza three TakhePeshasazi 1, Gree base 2,   BazareeHavcharkh four Solav, Jameia 2, Bekhal company 2 five Takhe Raze Site six BekhalCompany 4, K.R.O 1, BekhalCompany 5 seven  Noise measurements were executed at different times of the day or night depending on the time of the stopping of the supply of electric power from the public network.  Each generating power site may contain many diesel generating units. For each power site, the number of generator units that were simultaneously in service was between one and seven diesel units. Table 1 shows the names of generating sites and number of diesel generator units that each site includes.  RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In this section, results and discussion of study of noise carried out for (30) electrical diesel generator sites in Duhok city were introduced. Figure (1) shows the map of Duhok city on which the locations of the sites of these generators are shown. Location coordinates of these sites were measured as part of this study by using the GPS device. It can be seen from this map that the majority of these sites are situated in residential restricts. Some of these diesel generating sites are established between houses, near schools and kindergartens, near clinics, near mosques, near green parks, etc. From the coordinates of the selected sites it is clear that the testing's had been done around city and center of Duhok in different times of day and night. It should also be observing that since these sites are located inside residential regions, they cause noise to those regions and surrounding these sites to some certain distances.  In order to compare the mean noise level in dB(A) for  thirty of the diesel generator sites that are measured throughout this work with the permissible noise level, the mean noise level in dB(A) has been drawn as a function of distance in figure (2).  On the same figure, the permissible noise levels for the residential area, commercial area and industrial area were drawn. The permissible noise values are 55 dB(A) for the residential area, 65 dB(A) for commercial area, and 75 dB(A) or industrial area (Vijayalakshmi, 2003). It can be seen from figure (2), that the mean measured noise value with the distance from 5m up to 50m is higher than the permissible noise value for the residential, commercial, and industrial areas. At distance 50m from, the generators the mean value of noise level becomes almost equal to the permissible noise level for the industrial area as can be seen from the intersection of the mean noise level curve with the straight line for the permissible noise level for industrial area. Figure (2) is plotted using Microsoft Excel 2007 Program. Also and by using the same program, the following power empirical formula with R2 value of 0.990 is deduced,   I (dBA) = 122.4[ d (m) ]- 0.12   Journal of University of Zakho (JUOZ), Vol.1, (A) No.1, Pp.319-324, 2013                921                  Figure (1):Map of Duhok city on which the locations of the sites of diesel generators are shown Journal of University of Zakho (JUOZ), Vol.1, (A) No.1, Pp.319-324, 2013                922                             In the above equation, I is the mean noise pressure level in dB(A) for all the thirty diesel electrical generator sites,  d (m) is the distance in meters from these sites. This empirical formula can be used to predict the mean noise pressure level of all the thirty diesel electrical generator sites for the distances from 5 m up to 50 m. As can be seen from figure (2), the noise pressure level is higher than the permissible noise pressure levels for the residential, commercial, as well as industrial areas. So, inhabitants, living within these distances from generating sites, will suffer from harmful effects of noise.This correlation is extrapolated to comprise distances up to 80 m from generating sites. The extrapolated correlation is also plotted on the same figure. It can be seen as an extrapolation, that for the distance range (5 – 50) m, the agreement between the measured and correlated curves is excellent. From the distance range from 50m up to 80m, the curve belongs to the correlation decreases from 75 dB(A) to 72 dB(A), i.e. a decrease of only 3 dB(A) which is still above the permissible noise level for the commercial and residential area, but below the permissible noises for the industrial area.The extrapolation is made for 30 m from 50m to 80 m, which is more than half of the measured distances. This distance, 80 m is sometimes within the buildings. It is worth mentioning that the values of the permissible noise level in the figure (2) are for the day hours from 7 am until 10 pm and that for the night hours, 10 pm until 7 am, the permissible noise value is lower by 5 dB(A) area (Vijayalakshmi, 2003). This implies that the correlated mean noise value of generator sites is greater thanthe permissible noise level for residential, commercial and industrial areas as can be observed from the figure.  CONCLUSION On plotting the mean noise level with distance as shown in figure (2), it can be concluded that the mean noise level in dB(A) for all the selected sites shown on the map of  Duhok city are higher than the permissible noise Fig. (2 ): Comparing of the mean noise level in dB(A) for all thirty generator sites as a function of distance with the permissible noise level s in dB(A) for residential, commercial, and  industrial areas.  Journal of University of Zakho (JUOZ), Vol.1, (A) No.1, Pp.319-324, 2013                929 levels for residential, commercial and industrial regions. Thecalculated mean noise level at distance of 5m is 98.91 dB(A) while at distance of 50m it is 74.86 dB(A) which represents the almost the peak value of the permissible noise level in industrial regions at day hours.An empirical power formula was deduced from figure (2) for the mean noise level in dB(A) as a function of distance d in meters. On making extrapolation to this formula to extend the distance to 80m, the mean noise was dropped to 71.1dB (A) which is within the permissible noise level of industrial regions. Thus it is concluded that the mean noise level in dB(A) for all 30 diesel generating sites up to 80m distance from the sites is higher than the permissible noise levels for both residential and commercial regions.Accordingly, peoples living near these generating sites are subjected to the harmful effects of noise pollution caused by these generators.  References Bies, D. A. and Hansen, C. H.: 1996,Engineering Noise Control: Theory and Practice, 2nd  ed., E and  FN SPON, London] Georgiadou, E., Kourtidis, K. and Ziomas, I.: 2004, ‘Exploratory traffic noise measurements at five main streets of Thessaloniki, Greece’, Global Nest International Journal 6(1), 53–61. Karim, P. M., (2011).Feasibility of Using Photovoltaic (PV) for Protecting the Environment at  Duhok City, MSc Thesis, Department of Physics, College of Education, University of Duhok. Paul, M. (1993). Occupational and Environmental. Reproductive Hazard Clinicians, NEngl J Med  329,1588-1589. Vijayalakshmi, K.S.,(2003). Noise Pollution, Proceeding of the third  conference on environment and health, p. 597-603, Chenna, India.  Yılmaz H, Ozer S (1998). Evaluation of  Noise Pollution in The Respectof Landscape Planning and Solution Proposals. Atatürk Univ. Agric.Faculty J. 28(3): 515-530. Yousif, K. M., (2010). Feasibility of Using Renewable Energy for Protection the Environment at Duhok Region on North of  Iraq. World  Renewable Energy Congress Xi, 25-30 September, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Zakhmi, S. M, (2009). Study of Noise Generated by Single Cylinder Two Stroke Petrol Engine. Msc. Thesis, Thapar University of Patiala, Mechanical Engineering Department, Patiala, India.   ثوختةئابوريَى و , باذَيرَى دهوكَى د هةرَيما كوردستانَى دا توشَى ثَيشكةفتنةكا ب لةز و بةرفرةه بوية ذ ال ئاظاكرنَى. هةر ذ ساال , دطةل ظَى ضةندَى هندةك كَيماسى ذ اليَى هةبونا كارةبَى ظة يَين هةين, طةشت وطوزارَى ظة .كاردكةن بشَيوةيةكَى بةرفرةه( ديزل)ن كارةبَى ئةوَين ب طازوايلَىو ئةظ ضةندة دبيتة ئةطةرَى هةبونا موةليدَيى خبوظةدطريت ئةوَين بةربةالظ ل جهَين جودا جودا يَين باذَيرَى (ديزل)ئةف ظةكولينة ذاوةذاوا موةليدَين  ين و موةليدا يَين هة هةتا  جهَين موةليدا كو هةر جهةك نزيكى  و طرنطى يَى داية خواندنا . دهوكَىو بهاريكاريا سيستةمَين ثَيزانينَيت جوطرافى .ئةف جهَين هة يَين هاتينة دياركرن ل سةر نةخشَى باذَيرَى دهوكَى .مةتران هاتية دياركرن مةتر هةتا ى ذ ديراتيا (ديزل)جهَين موةليدين  ئاستَى ذاوةذاوا َى بةرامبةر (ديزل)جهَين موةليدَين يَى  ذ ظَى ظةكولينَى دياربو طريدان و نزيكبوونا ئاستَى ذاوةذاوَىمةترا هاتة دةستنيشانكرن بو هةر  دويراتيَى ئةظا هاتية دياركرن ل ثَيشيَى و ئةف ثَيطظةطرَيدانة هةتا مةترا ذ  ذ ظَى جةندَى ئةجنام  دياربون كو تَيكرايَى ئاستَى ذاوةذاوَى ئةظَى هاتية ثيظان ذ ديراتيا . جهةكىديسيبيلة و ئةف رَيذة دهَيتة هذمارتن بلندتر ذ ئاستَى ذاوةذاوا ئاسايى ل جهَين  دا د بيتة جهَين موةليبةىَل ل , ديسيبَيال بو خهَين دياركرى ديسيبَيال و  ئاكنجيبونَى و يَين بازرطانى كو ثَيدظية نة طةهيتة  .ةبيتديسيبَيال  بلندتر ن جهَين ثيشةسازى ئاستَى ئاسايى ثَيدظية ذ Journal of University of Zakho (JUOZ), Vol.1, (A) No.1, Pp.319-324, 2013                923 دياربو تَيكرايَى ئاستَى , مةترا ذ جهَين موةليدا كو دا بزانني ئةف تَيستة هاتة كرن بةرامبةر ديراتيا ديسيبَيل ديسان هةر ثرتة ذ ئاستَى ذاوةذاوَى ل جهَين ئاكنجيبونَى و يَين  ذاوةذاوَى هاتة خارَى بو  .بازرطانىديسان ئةف ظةكولينة ضةند تَيستةكَين ثرةكتيكى خبوظة دطريت بو زانينا كومكرنا ئاستَى ذاوةذاوَى ئةوَى ذ ضةند موةليدا دةردكةفيت ذ ئاستَين جودا جودا ذ ذاوةذاوَى و دا بزانني كانَى هندةك رَيطر هةنة ذاوةذاوَى  .كَيمبكةن د نةخوشى ذَى ضَيدبن ظَى ظةكولينَى داكو بزانني ئةف  ذاوةذاوا ذ موليدا ضَيدبيَت ضةن   

Investigation of Noise Pollution of Electrical Diesel Generators in Duhok City/ Kurdistan of Iraq

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Investigation of Noise Pollution of Electrical Diesel Generators in Duhok City/ Kurdistan of Iraq

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