Overview - IEC TS 61973:2012 (HVDC substation audible noise)
IEC TS 61973:2012 provides technical specification guidance for the specification, prediction, measurement and evaluation of outdoor audible noise from HVDC substations. It is aimed primarily at utilities and consultants preparing technical specifications and evaluating contractor proposals for new HVDC projects. The document focuses on line-commutated converter (LCC) HVDC projects but also offers applicable guidance for voltage-sourced converters (VSC) and FACTS devices such as SVCs and STATCOMs.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Terms, definitions and acoustic fundamentals - consistent vocabulary for sound, noise and sound radiation used throughout HVDC projects.
- Environmental influences - how directivity, background noise, topography and meteorological conditions affect noise propagation.
- Noise level limits and land-use considerations - location-based limits (e.g., fence line, property boundary, contour away from site) and their relation to background levels and time duration.
- Sound-emitting sources - identification and characterization of key noise sources: converter transformers, reactors (air-cored and tanked), capacitors, cooling fans, switching devices, corona, diesel gensets and ancillary plant.
- Sound reduction measures - substation layout, component design choices, enclosures, damping, and retrofittable mitigation techniques (including active and passive approaches).
- Operating conditions and verification - required normal and exceptional operating conditions for noise assessments and verification procedures.
- Prediction and measurement methodologies - modelling of plant, transmission paths, calculation sequences and presentation of results; verification using sound power calculations, sound pressure and sound intensity measurements; procedures for correcting background noise.
- Specification data - parameters customers must provide and contractors must clarify for accurate noise prediction and verification.
Practical applications and users
- Who uses it: utilities, engineering consultants, HVDC design contractors, environmental compliance officers, and project managers.
- Uses:
- Writing contract technical specifications and performance requirements for HVDC substations
- Predicting site noise impact during design and layout stages
- Selecting and specifying quieter equipment or mitigation measures (transformer design, reactors, enclosures, fans)
- Validating contractor noise claims through measurement and calculation during commissioning
- Ensuring compliance with local land‑use noise limits and environmental permitting
Related guidance
Consult this Technical Specification alongside IEC standards and guidance on transformer noise, acoustic measurement methods, and environmental noise assessment for complete project compliance and best practices.
Keywords: IEC TS 61973:2012, HVDC substation audible noise, HVDC noise prediction, transformer noise, reactor noise, SVC noise, STATCOM noise, noise measurement, sound power, environmental noise compliance.