Hatch and U of T researchers tackling wind turbine noise issues
September 10, 2012
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
Engineers at Hatch have teamed up with researchers at the University of Toronto to find the best layout for turbines on wind farms. The approval of wind farm sites has become difficult in Ontario where opponents complain that they produce...
Engineers at Hatch have teamed up with researchers at the University of Toronto to find the best layout for turbines on wind farms. The approval of wind farm sites has become difficult in Ontario where opponents complain that they produce vibrations and noise. There are also other challenges to the siting of turbines such as air traffic navigation, conflicts with commercial towers, and mandatory setbacks.
Hatch’s newsletter, Energy Innovations, explains: “All of these factors make it difficult to arrive at a layout that also provides the desired energy capacity, meets landowner requirements and satisfies stakeholder expectations. The crux of the challenge is that every time a turbine location changes, so does the sound field around it.”
Hatch’s engineers are working with the University of Toronto researchers to develop new software that implements genetic algorithms to maximize the energy produced by turbines while simultaneously reducing their noise. Current software tools are limited because they either address static geometric constraints or are acoustic modeling tools that address the sound field. “The key to achieving optimal layouts is to merge the strengths of these two tool types,” says the Hatch newsletter.
Click here http://www.hatch.ca/News_Publications/Energy_Innovations/August2012/index.
niversity of Toronto to find the best layout for turbines on wind farms. The approval of wind farm sites has become difficult in Ontario where opponents complain that they produce vibrations and noise. There are also other challenges to the siting of turbines such as air traffic navigation, conflicts with commercial towers, and mandatory setbacks.
Hatch’s newsletter, Energy Innovations, explains: “All of these factors make it difficult to arrive at a layout that also provides the desired energy capacity, meets landowner requirements and satisfies stakeholder expectations. The crux of the challenge is that every time a turbine location changes, so does the sound field around it.”
Hatch’s engineers are working with the University of Toronto researchers to develop new software that implements genetic algorithms to maximize the energy produced by turbines while simultaneously reducing their noise. Current software tools are limited because they either address static geometric constraints or are acoustic modeling tools that address the sound field. “The key to achieving optimal layouts is to merge the strengths of these two tool types,” says the Hatch newsletter.
Click here
http://www.hatch.ca/News_Publications/Energy_Innovations/August2012/index
