초록
In the development of electricity generating wind turbines for wind farm application, only two types have survived as the methods of power regulation; stall regulation and full span pitch control. The main purpose of this paper is to experimentally identify the characteristics of noise emission of wind turbines according to the power regulation types. The sound measurement procedures of IEC 61400-11 are applied to field test and evaluation of noise emission from each of 1.5 MW and 660 kW wind turbines (WT) utilizing the stall regulation and the pitch control for the power regulation, respectively. Apparent sound power level, wind speed dependence, third-octave band levels and tonality are evaluated for both of WTs. It is observed that equivalent continuous sound pressure levels (ECSPL) of the stall control type of WT continue to increase with increasing wind speed whereas those of the pitch control type of WT show less correlation with wind speed. These observed characteristics are believed to be due to the different airflow patterns around the blade between the stall regulation and the pitch control types of WT; the airflow on the suction side of blade in the stall types of WT are separated at the high wind speed. It is also found that the 1.5 MW WT using the stall control emits lower sound power than 660 kW one using the pitch control at wind speeds below 8m/s, whereas sound power of the former becomes higher than that of the latter in the wind speed over 8m/s. This wind-speed dependence of sound power leads to the very different noise omission characteristics of WTs depending on the seasons because the average wind speed in summer is lower than 8m/s whereas that in summer is higher. Based on these experimental observations, it is proposed that, in view of environmental noise regulation, the developer of wind farm should give enough considerations to the choice of power regulation of their WTG based on the weather conditions of potential wind farm locations.
