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Some days I joke that there should be a set of Nobel prizes for making machines quieter. Categories could include: air-conditioning units and mini-fridges, cons

Some days I joke that there should be a set of Nobel prizes for making machines quieter. Categories could include: air-conditioning units and mini-fridges, construction and landscaping equipment, old university buildings, pump-housings, etc. The quality of life of many would be improved if we had quieter machines. It boggles my mind that a) in many hotel rooms one can hear a good deal of machine noise and neighbors' televisions, and b) that some sort of noise score (as calculated from DB meter measurements) isn't more widely available for things like apartment rentals, conference room bookings, etc.

stronglikedan 1y ago
> making machines quieter It's already possible, just not profitable.
- mrexroad 1y ago
  Exactly. That’s where the other comment about a “noise tax”, or enact fines for exceeding limits, are probably necessary to shift the calculus. Japan is a good case study [1]. If nothing else, it’s fun to look at the charts showing noise reductions—not just in aggregate, but for each contributing input (e.g. engine, intake, exhaust, tires, cooling)—for both passenger vehicles and heavy equipment. Unfortunately, in the US, we have a few obstacles to legislation like this, least of which being public apathy as majority of voters who are not exposed to high sound levels daily. “Japan's primary legislation governing noise regulation is the Environmental Noise Regulation Act, first introduced in 1986 and subsequently amended in 1999. This act sets different noise limits for different times of the day, with the maximum allowable noise level during the day set at 55 decibels and reduced to 45 decibels at night to prevent disturbances to those who are sleeping. Violators of these standards are subject to penalties.” [1] https://www.lios-group.com/news/noise-regulations-in-japan-one-of-the-most-urbanised-countries-in-the-world https://www.lios-group.com/news/noise-regulations-in-japan-o...
willsmith72 1y ago
what about a noise tax? my city has some electric buses and some ancient buses - the difference obviously is absolutely huge, but right now the financial incentives aren't there to upgrade the whole fleet
sidewndr46 1y ago
Noise from construction machines is actually a feature. They all have added backup beepers at this point as required per OSHA guidelines. Audible for well over a mile in normal conditions
- arp242 1y ago
  > Audible for well over a mile in normal conditions That doesn't strike me as a feature. Also a solved problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rwJ5NCf1Vw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rwJ5NCf1Vw Tesco delivery trucks have them here in Ireland; it's pretty good stuff. Still quite loud/noticeable when you're up close, while at the same time not being completely obnoxious to everyone in a kilometre radius.
  - sidewndr46 1y ago
    They have to be loud enough to be heard through hearing protection. The amplitude is a feature. It's a "solved problem" in the sense that nuclear energy is a solved problem. There's no mandate to actually see widespread roll out of anything that may be a better solution. There's a construction site near me at present. There is always 1 machine in reverse, at all times. The utility of having a backup beeper or any noise making device on that site is thus zero. It is the single largest source of noise pollution, larger than the roadway
    - bumby 1y ago
      >The utility of having a backup beeper or any noise making device on that site is thus zero. This strikes me as an odd take, maybe from someone who has never worked on a construction site. Our auditory sense is more than just a binary “present/not present” detection. We can sense distance and direction. Just because there is a backup beeper somewhere on site does not mean there is no value to any other auditory signal. Think about when you’re in a congested city. There’s probably a lot of ambient car noise, including horns, in the background. That doesn’t mean you’re unable to react to a honking car in your immediate vicinity.
Dambalala 1y ago
https://www.quietmark.com/ https://www.quietmark.com/

stronglikedan 1y ago

> making machines quieter It's already possible, just not profitable.

mrexroad 1y ago
Exactly. That’s where the other comment about a “noise tax”, or enact fines for exceeding limits, are probably necessary to shift the calculus. Japan is a good case study [1]. If nothing else, it’s fun to look at the charts showing noise reductions—not just in aggregate, but for each contributing input (e.g. engine, intake, exhaust, tires, cooling)—for both passenger vehicles and heavy equipment. Unfortunately, in the US, we have a few obstacles to legislation like this, least of which being public apathy as majority of voters who are not exposed to high sound levels daily. “Japan's primary legislation governing noise regulation is the Environmental Noise Regulation Act, first introduced in 1986 and subsequently amended in 1999. This act sets different noise limits for different times of the day, with the maximum allowable noise level during the day set at 55 decibels and reduced to 45 decibels at night to prevent disturbances to those who are sleeping. Violators of these standards are subject to penalties.” [1] https://www.lios-group.com/news/noise-regulations-in-japan-one-of-the-most-urbanised-countries-in-the-world https://www.lios-group.com/news/noise-regulations-in-japan-o...

willsmith72 1y ago

what about a noise tax? my city has some electric buses and some ancient buses - the difference obviously is absolutely huge, but right now the financial incentives aren't there to upgrade the whole fleet

sidewndr46 1y ago

Noise from construction machines is actually a feature. They all have added backup beepers at this point as required per OSHA guidelines. Audible for well over a mile in normal conditions

arp242 1y ago
> Audible for well over a mile in normal conditions That doesn't strike me as a feature. Also a solved problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rwJ5NCf1Vw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rwJ5NCf1Vw Tesco delivery trucks have them here in Ireland; it's pretty good stuff. Still quite loud/noticeable when you're up close, while at the same time not being completely obnoxious to everyone in a kilometre radius.
- sidewndr46 1y ago
  They have to be loud enough to be heard through hearing protection. The amplitude is a feature. It's a "solved problem" in the sense that nuclear energy is a solved problem. There's no mandate to actually see widespread roll out of anything that may be a better solution. There's a construction site near me at present. There is always 1 machine in reverse, at all times. The utility of having a backup beeper or any noise making device on that site is thus zero. It is the single largest source of noise pollution, larger than the roadway
  - bumby 1y ago
    >The utility of having a backup beeper or any noise making device on that site is thus zero. This strikes me as an odd take, maybe from someone who has never worked on a construction site. Our auditory sense is more than just a binary “present/not present” detection. We can sense distance and direction. Just because there is a backup beeper somewhere on site does not mean there is no value to any other auditory signal. Think about when you’re in a congested city. There’s probably a lot of ambient car noise, including horns, in the background. That doesn’t mean you’re unable to react to a honking car in your immediate vicinity.

Dambalala 1y ago

https://www.quietmark.com/ https://www.quietmark.com/