Prediction and reduction of noise from a 2.3 MW wind turbine

Abstract

We address the issue of noise emission from a 2.3 MW SWT-2.3-93 wind turbine and compare simulations from a semi-empirical acoustic model with measurements. The noise measurements were taken at the Høvsøre test site for large wind turbines. The acoustic model is based on the Blade-Element Momentum (BEM) technique and various semi-empirical acoustic relations. The comparison demonstrates a generally good agreement between predicted and measured noise levels. The acoustic model is further employed to carry out a parametrical study to optimize the performance/noise of the wind turbine by changing tip speed and pitch setting. We show that it is possible to reduce the noise level up to 2 dB(A) without sacrificing too much the power yield. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.