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Content archived on 2024-05-14

Design and testing of acoustically optimized airfoils for wind turbines

Objective



PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of the project are:
- To design acoustically optimized airfoils for wind turbines using all noise reducing
concepts which were found to be successful (trailing-edge serrations, new airfoil shapes).
- To design acoustically optimized blades and to test them in a large wind tunnel in order to include rotation and/or unsteady flow.
- To improve the understanding of 'excess noise' and to develop guidelines to prevent it.
- To quantify the impact of noise reducing concepts on the power output of a large wind turbine.
It is expected that a rotor which is equipped with acoustically optimized blades yields a reduction in sound power level of 3-6 dB compared to a conventional state-of-the-art rotor.
TECHNICAL APPROACH
The technical approach consists basically of two steps: ( 1 ) the design of acoustically optimized airfoils, and (2) the testing of these airfoils on a model rotor in the wind tunnel. The aerodynamic design will be accomplished using standard tools like the Eppler code or XFOIL. The acoustic evaluation will be performed by employing prediction models for the two important noise mechanisms, namely trailing-edge noise and inflow-turbulence noise. These prediction models are sensitive enough to capture the influence of the exact airfoil shape on the noise production. Since trailing-edge serrations have been proven to be an efficient means for reducing trailing-edge noise, they will be integrated in the design. The airfoils will be tested aerodynamically and acoustically in two wind tunnels at the University of Stuttgart and the National Aerospace Laboratory NLR, respectively.
In a second step the airfoils will be used to design two acoustically optimized rotor blades. One blade will include trailing-edge serrations. A third blade will be designed as a reference blade based on standard airfoils like the NACA-63xx or -64xx series. The blades will be tested in a two-bladed configuration in the German-Dutch Windtunnel (DNW). Noise measurements will be performed using an inflow microphone array. Additional experiments will be undertaken in order to understand the phenomenon of 'excess noise'. As a final step, the industrial partner Rotorline will carry out a design study for a new 1 MW rotor which is based on the new airfoils. Here, the aerodynamic characteristics which were measured in the wind tunnel will be used. This study will allow to assess the impact of noise reducing concepts (serrations, new airfoil shapes) on the power output of a wind turbine.
EXPECTED ACHIEVEMENTS
The expected achievements are:
- A new airfoil family which incorporates all the state-of-the-art noise reducing concepts (serrations, new airfoil shapes) with 'best-as-possible' aerodynamic features.
- A validated methodology to design 'silent' airfoils while taking the aerodynamic performance into account.
- An improved understanding of the generation, modelling, and reduction of aerodynamic noise in case of rotation and/or unsteady flow.
- Design rules enabling manufacturers to prevent excess noise

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITAET STUTTGART
EU contribution
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Address
21,Pfaffenwaldring 21
70585 STUTTGART
Germany

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Participants (4)

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