A New Era of Integrated Noise Control Design
In the world of environmental acoustics, balancing noise attenuation with aerodynamic and maintaining thermal performance of industrial units, specifically air-cooled chillers, is consistently a complex challenge. Noise control solutions—such as acoustic silencers, louvers, and enclosures—must not only meet strict acoustic performance standards but also ensure that airflow and equipment efficiency remain uncompromised.
At Parklane, our growing use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling is reshaping how we approach this balance in a way that is unique to the industry. This advanced modeling capability allows us to visualize and quantify airflow, temperature, and pressure distribution across complex geometries—long before physical solutions are ever built or tested.
“Previously, conventional methods would only allow estimation of pressure drop using empirical results. Parklane employed advanced engineering methods to define state-of-the-art methods, to bridge the gap between ‘laboratory’ and ‘in-situ’ performance. With the use of computational tools, we are able to simulate additional physics–such as temperature changes, and environmental impacts on airflow dynamics. The objective is to ensure our designs integrate effectively with existing systems–no longer risking overheating or reducing efficiency but optimizing solutions for operational conditions. We are able to demonstrate, with accurate data, our impact to their systems’ performance and efficiency.“
– Hamid Mortazavi, CFD Engineer
What is CFD Modeling?
CFD—short for Computational Fluid Dynamics—uses numerical analysis and algorithms to simulate fluid flow, solving the Navier-Stokes equations that describe the motion of liquids and gases. In essence, it allows engineers to predict how air will behave around and through noise control equipment.
As Parklane CFD Engineer, Hamid Mortazavi, explains:
“CFD requires immense computational resources and mathematical precision. By discretizing the space into small time and spatial elements, we can calculate the velocity, pressure, and temperature at every point within a model for one of our custom solutions. Once those variables are mapped, we can replicate how air behaves in the real world—before anything is physically built.”
How is CFD Integral to Parklane’s Process and Solutions?
For Parklane, these capabilities have been transformative. In the past, aerodynamic performance was verified only through physical testing—an expensive and time-consuming process. Now, CFD allows our team to evaluate pressure drops, airflow behavior, and temperature effects via virtual modeling. This modelling, in conjunction with the data from over 30 years of lab testing solutions, reduces the need for prototyping.
We have employed CFD to bolster our theoretical understanding of product performance in both laboratory and in-situ conditions. Parklane’s core values fosters a sense of responsibility, of commitment–to our desired outcome. We have and continue to use CFD to validate our understanding of product performance, on route to developing new products to be incorporated as part of our solutions offerings.
The Role of CFD in Modern Noise Control
With growing demand for data center and mission critical facilities, ensuring that noise attenuation measures don’t compromise equipment performance is becoming essential. CFD modeling gives engineers the ability to predict airflow disruption, temperature rise, heat re-entrainment and thermal inefficiency caused by attenuation systems—long before installation.
Hamid explains:
“Previously, conventional methods would only allow estimation of pressure drop using empirical results. Parklane employed advanced engineering methods to define state-of-the-art methods, to bridge the gap between ‘laboratory’ and ‘in-situ’ performance. With the use of computational tools, we are able to simulate additional physics–such as temperature changes, and environmental impacts on airflow dynamics. The objective is to ensure our designs integrate effectively with existing systems–no longer risking overheating or reducing efficiency but optimizing solutions for operational conditions. We are able to demonstrate, with accurate data, our impact to their systems’ performance and efficiency.“
This precision not only enhances collaboration with OEMs and acoustic consultants, but also reduces potential downstream project risk, helping clients make informed decisions during early design phases.
CFD and the Engineering Community
Parklane’s Engineering team presented a technical paper, CFD modeling of design impacts on aerodynamic, acoustic, and thermal performance of noise control solutions for air-cooled chillers, pertaining to this topic for the first time at Noise-Con 2025 in Stowe, Vermont—a leading North American conference for noise control professionals hosted by INCE – The Institute of Noise Control Engineering, marking a major step forward in sharing how CFD modeling is advancing the design of noise control solutions for modern infrastructure, including large-scale data centers.
Parklane’s Jordan Howes, an Engineering Specialist and emerging professional in the field, presented our latest CFD research and found:
“The response was overwhelmingly positive,” Jordan says. “Many attendees told me this was a fresh perspective. Typically, the focus in our field starts with acoustics, with airflow and thermal impacts considered later. CFD allows us to assess those interactions upfront—so we can design noise control systems that both reduce sound and preserve performance.”
The presentation sparked strong engagement and discussion, particularly amongst acoustic consultants and operating equipment manufacturers interested in how CFD can help predict on-site performance impacts of noise control systems on air-cooled chillers and data center infrastructure.
Looking Ahead: Setting New Standards
Parklane’s Engineering team is continuing to push boundaries. The next steps involve developing a standardized methodology for on-site pressure drop measurements, which currently vary across the industry.
“Parklane continues to champion advancements in the industry by identifying and closing technical gaps that persist across both practice and theory,” says Hamid. “These challenges can be broadly categorized as follows:
Systemic Challenges: These stem from interpretative or conceptual issues that affect how the industry understands and applies established methodologies. Examples include discrepancies between laboratory-based and in-situ testing interpretations, or more fundamentally, the misapplication of acoustical metrics outside their intended scope. Such issues often originate from educational, institutional, or legacy assumptions that fail to account for the complexities of real-world environments, leading to inaccurate conclusions about performance and compliance.
Systematic Challenges: These arise within the frameworks and methodologies themselves. They include inconsistencies or limitations embedded in testing standards—whether at the laboratory level or in the field—that compromise repeatability, reproducibility, and real-world relevance. Addressing these challenges requires not only refining the procedures within existing standards but also developing bridging methodologies that allow laboratory data to be meaningfully correlated with in-situ results.
By confronting both the systemic and systematic barriers that inhibit technical accuracy and practical reliability, Parklane aims to advance the industry’s collective understanding—linking theory, method, and application under a unified, evidence-based framework. This pursuit ensures that acoustical performance is not merely measured, but meaningfully interpreted in the contexts where it matters most.“
For Jordan, this experience reflects the excitement of contributing to an evolving field as a young engineer in the industry.
“Being able to present this kind of research so early in my career has been incredibly rewarding,” Jordan shares. “It’s a sign that innovation isn’t limited to experience—it’s about curiosity, collaboration, and using the right tools to challenge assumptions.”
For Hamid, an experienced CFD engineer:
“CFD is a bridge between theoretical science and practical engineering. Applying it to noise control—an area where it hasn’t been widely adopted yet—feels like shaping the next generation of design standards.”
The integration of CFD modeling into noise control design marks a pivotal advancement for both Parklane and the broader industry. By combining acoustic engineering with aerodynamic precision, Parklane continues to develop solutions that achieve performance, efficiency, and compliance—without compromise.
As the field evolves, it’s clear that tools like CFD aren’t just enhancing noise control—they’re redefining how we engineer harmony between sound, airflow, and performance.
For the full paper presented at Noise Con 2025: CLICK HERE
To learn more about Parklane’s process: https://parklanemechanical.com/our-process
To explore Data Center solutions: https://parklanemechanical.com/data-centers
To contact us for more information: https://parklanemechanical.com/contact