Acoustics researchers aim to make wind turbines quieter

They are also developing a computer model to predict the noise output from wind farms so they can accurately and quickly assess the effectiveness of potential noise-reducing designs and control methods.

Research leader Dr Con Doolan, from the university’s School of Mechanical Engineering, said the noise generated from wind turbines is ‘trailing edge or airfoil noise’ — the same sort of noise generated at the edge of aircraft wings.

‘We know generally what causes that noise — as the turbulent air flows over the sharp edge of the blade, it radiates sound much more efficiently, so the noise can be heard at some distance,’ said Doolan.

‘What we don’t yet understand, however, is exactly how that turbulence and blade edge, or boundary layer, interact and how that makes the noise louder.

‘If we can understand this fundamental science, we can then look at ways of controlling the noise, through changing the shape of the rotor blades or using active control devices at the blade edges to disrupt the pattern of turbulence and so reduce the noise.’