Build or buy a compressor intake muffler

[norton]

I am looking to reduce the noise level from my compressor and I saw a mention of an intake muffler for compressors on one of the Power Block shows.

Does anyone have an intake muffler or has anyone built one?

Looking for product links or ideas.

Thanks,
- Eliot -

[CPOM]

I would just buy one from home depot. But if you're set on building one essentially what they are is a ported inlet and a canister to hold a filter. Like a tube within a tube.


mcmaster.com pg 326

[norton]

I already have one of the little cannister silencers on there. I am looking for something that reduces noise much more significantly.

- Eliot -

[CPOM]

Well there's only so much you can do by silencing the intake air. Think about it, you have a big motor and cast iron compressor resonating all that sound everywhere it's not like it is only coming from the intake port - the whole assembly is making noise.

To test this theory, get a few feet of rubber 1" hose and see if it makes a difference attached to the inlet. My guess is it won't be worth writing home about.

Here's another method:
http://www.rvproject.com/compressor.html

[DownNDirty]

The majority of the sound from a good oiled compressor is the intake.

You can actually just use a piece of pipe to extend the filter attachement and it will help. The added length changes the frequency of the intake and will reduce the high freq. components so it isn't as annoying. Beyond that you would have to put a lot of work into making a good silencer. Probably cheaper to just buy one and build an adapter.

[norton]

I found a tube muffler on mcmaster.com on page 324 that claims up to a 30 dB reduction.

I am also in the process of building a water-cooled Franzinator. Between to keep the whole assembly cooler and the intake muffler, I should be able to stick the thing back in the corner of the garage in a small plywood and acoustic foam enclosure like the one CPOM posted and have a quiet and cool compressed air source.

- Eliot -

[4Runnerdude]

If running a pipe helps, would running a pipe and having the filter sit outside of the shop/garage help with the noise inside?

[PTSchram]

The majority of the sound from a good oiled compressor is the intake.


Same as with any internal combustion engine. I was amazed to learn this when reading an engineering text on engine design. Intake filter/muffler design is an entire engineering discipline all to itself.

[DownNDirty]

Intake filter/muffler design is an entire engineering discipline all to itself.


Yea, the guys in the lab next to mine come over and use our anechoic chamber a lot when they work cold air intakes. I was also just over at the BMW plant and was shown that they have a big anechoic chamber so they can track down noises and the majority come from the intake.