Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Mranal Gupta

Niels Christian M Nielsen

Erik Billeskov Sloth

Jens Demtröder

Erik Sloth

Kaj Dam Madsen

Janne-Pekka Yrjönen

Claus Thy Henningsen

Edgar Anahua

Nicolaj Winther Johansen

Brian Ank Mertz

Jan Johansen

Alf Søe-Knudsen

Antonio Patricio Pinto Couto Vieira

Janne-Pekka YRJÖNEN

The invention provides a method of reducing noise emissions of a wind turbine. The method includes receiving data indicative of wind conditions in the vicinity of the wind turbine, and determining an operational set point signal in accordance with a desired operation of the wind turbine, the operational set point signal being determined based on the received data. The method includes applying a perturbation signal to the operational set point signal to obtain a modified operational set point signal, and controlling operation of the wind turbine using the modified operational set point signal to reduce noise emissions of the wind turbine. The perturbation signal is applied such that the modified operational set point signal has greater temporal variation than the operational set point signal.

Reducing noise emissions of a wind turbine

A wind turbine comprising: a vibration source; a component arranged to receive a vibration from the vibration source, the component having a first resonant frequency; and a resonator module arranged to vibrate with a first wavelength when excited at the first resonant frequency, the resonator module being operably coupled to the component at a first location, wherein the resonator module has a first length extending from the first location to a first free end of the resonator module, and wherein the first length of the resonator module is a quarter of the first wavelength.

Wind turbine with tonality reduction

A detuner system for a wind turbine includes a drive train component having a natural frequency. The drive train component is configured to rotate about an axis of rotation at a range of different speeds. The detuner system includes a controller for selectively interacting with the drive train component and cause a step change in the natural frequency of the drive train component at a first threshold of the rotational speed range, and cause a step change in the natural frequency of the drive train component at a second threshold of the rotational speed range different to the first threshold.

Detuner system

A radiating component of the wind turbine is modelled as a plurality of elements, wherein each element represents a physical portion of the radiating component and at least a portion of each of the elements are acoustically coupled to one or more of the other elements. A simulation of a vibrational source located within the wind turbine is applied at an interface of the modelled radiating component. A transfer function is used to determine the transmission of vibrations from an interface with the vibrational source to the elements. Tonal noise radiated from the elements to an environment external to the wind turbine is determined based upon the transmission of vibrations from the interface through the elements. The design of the radiating component, or of a component between the radiating component and the vibrational source, is modified to reduce the tonal noise radiated from the radiating component.

Wind turbine design method

A method of monitoring wind turbine emission of tonal noise is provided. The method comprises receiving a noise notification as a message from a third party, determining a time associated with the message, and acquiring sensor data from a sensor, with the sensor data being indicative of an operating parameter of a wind turbine. The method further comprises correlating the noise notification with the acquired sensor data based on the time associated with the message.

Messaging to indicate tonal noise

A methodof predicting tonal noise produced by a wind turbine is disclosed. The method comprises acquiringa first set of vibration data, the first set of vibration data being from a plurality of vibration sensors positioned at different locations about a wind turbine drivetrain when the wind turbine drivetrain is undergoing testing in a test rig; acquiringa second set of vibration data, the second set of vibration data being from a plurality of vibration sensors positioned at different locations about the same or a similar wind turbine drivetrain when located in a wind turbine; acquiringnoise data including tonal noise produced by the wind turbine; identifyinga vibration sensor of interest using vibration data of the second set of vibration data and the noise data; determining, for the identified sensor, a first relationship between vibration data of the first set of vibration data and the second set of vibration data; and determining, for the identified vibration sensors, a second relationship between the first set of vibration data and tonal noise produced by a wind turbine based on the first relationship.

Predicting wind turbine noise

A method of identifying an operating parameter of a wind turbine that contributes to the generation of tonal noise. The method comprises acquiring operating parameter data associated with a plurality of operating parameters of the wind turbine. The operating parameter data comprises a set of values for each operating parameter of the wind turbine. Noise data is also acquired that includes tonal noise produced by the wind turbine and is synchronised with the operating parameter data. The noise data is then binned with respect to a set of operating parameter values of a first operating parameter, and, for each of one or more of the bins, the noise data in the bin is analysed with respect to a set of values of a second operating parameter. The method then determines if there is a relationship between the second operating parameter and tonal noise produced by the wind turbine based on the analysis.

Wind turbine noise analysis and control

A method of analyzing wind turbine noise is provided. The method comprises acquiring noise data representing noise produced by a wind turbine and acquiring data from a plurality of vibration sensors positioned at different locations about the wind turbine. The method further comprises identifying a region of interest in the noise data, the region of interest being a candidate for containing tonal noise generated by the wind turbine, and identifying a vibration sensor, the data for which correlates with the noise data in the region of interest. The method further comprises determining a threshold vibration level for the identified vibration sensor, the threshold being based on the vibration level detected by the identified vibration sensor in the region of interest, and determining when the vibration level detected by the identified vibration sensor exceeds the determined threshold.

Analysis of wind turbine noise

A method of controlling noise produced by a wind turbine is disclosed. The wind turbine comprises one or more component cooling devices, and the method comprises: receiving one or more inputs indicative of noise generated by the one or more component cooling devices; determining the contribution of noise from the one or more component cooling devices to overall turbine noise based upon the one or more inputs; and modifying turbine operation based upon the contribution of cooling device noise to overall turbine noise and based upon turbine noise requirements. A corresponding wind turbine controller is also provided.

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Tilst, Denmark

Mranal Gupta