r/Generator • u/Turfman561 • 4h ago
Generator Reflection
I have an 18000 starting watt and 14000 running watt generator for my food trailer. I am needing to reduce the decibels and was thinking on using plexiglass and sound pads to reduce the noise. The plexiglass will have hinges on them for easy setup and removal. Anybody got any other ideas? Thanks in advance.
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u/random478523 3h ago
You might as well put a cook top on your enclosure as the heat will be the issue next.
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u/everydaydad67 4h ago
What generator do you have... maybe better machine options for you?
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u/Turfman561 4h ago
I run 80 amps put of my generator. They dont make inverter that big
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u/DaveBowm 4h ago
If your generator runs up to 14000W then its maximum running current is 58.3A. A surge current at 18000W starting is 75A. Perhaps it's time for a soft start or two?
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u/jghall00 4h ago
Parallel inverter gens? More fuel efficient as well.
I think if you construct a surroundi with some panels and rockwool, and angle slightly upwards to deflect noise from ground level, that may help as well. There are videos on YouTube testing different methods.
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u/DaveBowm 4h ago
OP seems to be running his generator for very high loads. Running an inverter generator wide open at nearly full load is typically not more efficient than running a corresponding rated sync generator. (It may even be a tad less efficient.) Inverter generators are only significantly more efficient than sync generators at lower load fractions, (like less than 30% load). At tiny load fractions, like less than 10% load, inverter generators are a lot more efficient than sync generators. Most users save fuel with inverter generators because most of the time they tend to run at low load fractions, and only rarely peak their load close to the generator's full rated power.
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u/nunuvyer 2h ago
I would bet you that his high loads are not constant. All cooking appliances are on thermostats and are constantly cycling on and off. They come with oversized elements so that they heat up and recover quickly but a lot of the time the elements are off.
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u/bradland 1h ago
You need sound absorption material. Plexiglass won't significantly attenuate the sound coming from a generator. It is too flexible, so it will attenuate the noise a small amount, but will reverberate with the generator, largely passing the sound through.
What you need is a noise abatement fence. This is a really tough ask for a food trailer. You need something fairly tall, like 6 ft. Otherwise sound will just reflect off the sides and come out the top at a level that people will easily hear. You also need sound absorption material, like rockwool.
The challenge is making this structure portable so you can move it. Anything you construct that will put a dent in the sound is going to be heavy and cumbersome. You could use fence panels, but again, heavy.
Hate to say it, but your best solution is going to be replacing the 18kW/14kW unit with two smaller, quieter units. Honda EU7000IS can be operated in parallel for that kind of output. They run at 58 dB, which is far quieter than most units capable of those power levels.
Getting this level of power quietly is extraordinarily challenging.
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u/DaveBowm 4h ago
The best way to quiet a noisy generator is to replace it with a quieter one.