Aeracoustic Analysis of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine installed in the Wake of a Bluff Body

Abstract

Wind energy is a clean and renewable energy resource. Main streaming of this form of energy has produced the possibility of making wind turbines a part of urban landscape. Aerodynamic performance of a Horizontal & Vertical Axis Wind Turbines has been significantly improved by efficient blade design and smart composite materials. This study primarily deals with the acoustic effects of a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) when deployed in an urban environment. A parametric study has been performed to investigate the acoustic response of a VAWT in the wake of a bluff body by varying bluff body’s size, distance from turbine centre and the tip speed ratio. Study has shown that tip speed ratio has the most profound impact on the noise radiated by a VAWT because by changing the TSR from 2.3 to 0.4, noise can be reduced as much as 20 dBs. Increasing bluff body’s size decreases the noise level but it also severely affects the power coefficient of the turbine whereas increasing body’s distance from turbine centre reduces noise without severely affecting the torque coefficient.