Wind Farm Noise

A comprehensive guide to wind farm noise prediction, measurement, assessment, control and effects on people

Wind Farm Noise covers all aspects associated with the generation, measurement, propagation, regulation and adverse health effects of noise produced by large horizontal-axis wind turbines of the type used in wind farms.

The book begins with a brief history of wind turbine development and the regulation of their noise at sensitive receivers. Also included is an introductory chapter on the fundamentals of acoustics relevant to wind turbine noise so that readers are well prepared for understanding later chapters on noise measurements, noise generation mechanisms, noise propagation modelling and the assessment of the noise at surrounding residences.

Key features:

• Potential adverse health effects of wind farm noise are discussed in an objective way.
• Means for calculating the noise at residences due to a wind farm prior to construction are covered in detail along with uncertainty estimates.
• The effects of meteorological conditions and other influences, such as obstacles, ground cover and atmospheric absorption, on noise levels at residences are explained.
• Quantities that should be measured as well as how to best measure them in order to properly characterise wind farm noise are discussed in detail.
• Noise generation mechanisms and possible means for their control are discussed as well as aspects of wind farm noise that still require further research to be properly understood.

The book provides comprehensive coverage of the topic, containing both introductory and advanced level material.

Professor Colin Hansen has been consulting, researching and teaching in the field of noise and vibration for 40 years. He has authored or co-authored eleven books, edited two books, and contributed seven chapters to various other books. His current research is focused on the generation, assessment and control of wind farm noise, on which he has been working since 2010 and for which he has been funded by the Australian Research Council. He is an Honorary Fellow and past-president of the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration, a Fellow of the Australian Acoustical Society and a Fellow of Engineers Australia. He was awarded the 2009 Rayleigh Medal by the British institute of Acoustics for outstanding contributions to acoustics, the 2013 A.G.M. Michell medal by Engineers Australia for outstanding service to the discipline of Mechanical Engineering and the 2014 Rossing Prize in Acoustics Education by the Acoustical Society of America.

AssociateProfessor Doolan has an Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Queensland.  He has over 20 years experience in research and development, teaching and consulting, with over 150 technical publications.  His research interests focus upon compressible flow, which includes the area of aeroacoustics - the science of how fluid flow creates sound - with the aim to control noise from modern technologies such as aircraft, wind turbines and submarines.  Associate Professor Doolan has been involved for many years in the understanding and control of wind turbine noise, with funding from the Australian Research Council to perform aeroacoustic testing of scaled turbines in wind tunnels.

Dr Kristy Hansen completed an Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Aerodynamics/Fluid Mechanics at the University of Adelaide. She spent 3 years working on an Australian Research Council funded grant investigating the impact of wind farm noise on rural communities. This work involved collection of an extensive data set which resulted from simultaneous measurements of noise, vibration and meteorological data at rural locations near different wind farms. Results from the analysis of these data have been presented in a number of peer-reviewed journals and conference papers. She is continuing her research on wind farm noise as part of her current employment at Flinders University.