Enhancing industrial acoustic environments through a mathematical model and 3D COMSOL acoustic simulation

Legislators and manufacturing clients often drive engineering firms to adopt noise reduction measures early in community projects. This paper introduces a mathematical model and simulation tools to analyze sound propagation impacts at acceptable distances by optimizing machine placement based on sound engineering principles. A 3D acoustic simulation program, employing a diffusion equation model, forecasts noise distribution levels before and after machine layout modifications using a genetic algorithm. Our study took place in a spinning factory, where the optimized machine layout improved indoor acoustic conditions from 91.22 dB to 88.17 dB. This framework effectively reduces the daily work exposure level (LEX, 8 h) in the textile industry by 3.344%.