Generator Sound Pressure Level Calculations

By Roger Rosborough
Market Development Consultant
Caterpillar Northern Ireland

November 2016

INTRODUCTION

Noise levels of a generator set can be an influential factor in purchasing decisions depending on the customer, application and code requirements. In order to accurately present the sound pressure level of a generator set, the manufacturing company records sound pressure levels at fixed distances around the periphery of the generator set and averages them. However, it is critical for manufacturers to calculate the logarithmic mean of the peripheral measurements, not the arithmetical mean, which would be mathematically incorrect and may cause the generator set to appear quieter on paper than it is in practice.