The large physical size and characteristic acoustic radiation of wind turbines make it a real challenge to accurately simulate wind turbine acoustics early in development. A leading wind turbine manufacturer and LMS Engineering Services joined forces to meticulously build a hybrid vibro-acoustic simulation model, and validate the wind turbine model through operational measurements executed 100 meter above the ground. The resulting full-scale acoustic wind turbine model enabled engineers to predict far-field wind turbine acoustics with adequate accuracy and efficiency. Collaboration, commitment and expertise helped the team to overcome the project’s extreme modeling and testing challenges and allowed the wind turbine manufacturer to establish a robust virtual path for mastering wind turbine acoustics. Advanced testing efforts were deployed to create and validate the vibro-acoustic simulation model, and additionally allowed modeling challenges to be better understood in facilitation of future wind turbine developments.
