A Review of Trailing Edge Bluntness & Tip Noise Prediction

from Wind Turbine Blades

Authors : Dr Hima Bindu **
Venigalla , Vasishta *
Bhargava , JV Ramakanth#
*,** GITAM University, # SREYAS Institute of Engineering & Technology, Hyderabad - 502329
**Department of Aerospace Engineering *, # Department of Mechanical Engineering
Email: vasishtab@gmail.com
Trailing Edge Noise Wind Speed
Introduction : Parameter Type 4 m/s 8 m/s 15 m/s 22 m/s
113.80 113.99 114.47 114.81
One of the dominant noise sources from rotating machinery equipment is from I
trailing edge section of an airfoil as found in wind turbine blades. Maximum value ~1kHz , SPL dB
A computational study of noise mechanisms due to trailing edge & tip of blade for a 120.37 120.44 121.39 121.63
II
three bladed 2 megawatt wind turbine was performed using the semi empirical noise Maximum value ~800Hz , SPL - dB
Table 1. Simulation matrix for Trailing edge noise, dB, bluntness scaled for 1 % & 2 % blade chord & at wind speeds,
model.
4 m/s, 8 m/s, 15 m/s, 22 m/s
The extent of reduction in total A-weighted sound power level between 4 22 m/s
0
was evaluated using two different trailing edge heights of airfoil scaled with its 330
50 30
chord. Free stream Mach number is ~ 0.19 & Reynolds number is ~ 7 x 106 40
30
The effect of tip geometry on sound pressure level is predicted using same model. 300 60 Observer
20 Distances

The simulated results showed good agreement between total A-weighted sound 10 80m
270 0 90
power levels & experiment values from an equivalent turbine. 140m
200m
240 120

Objectives: 210
Observer Positions 180
150

To quantify the extent of reduction in total A weighted sound power level, due to Figure 5 Directivity, of sound pressure level (dB) 1/3rd octave Figure 6 Extent of Total SPL Reduction ,(dBA) due to change
for different observer positions, degrees, receiver at 80, 140 & of 1 % trailing edge bluntness at 0o observer position for
change in trailing edge bluntness parameter of airfoil. 200m from turbine [4] wind speed regime of 4-22 m/s
Compare the sound pressure levels for the 2MW wind turbine for a receiver height The tip noise levels shift to high frequency regions of spectrum with change in tip shapes
2m & located at distance of 80m from source present at height of 70m from (see Figure 7).
ground, with and without tip noise mechanism. The total SPL is not affected using round or sharp tips except only for blunt tip geometry at
Evaluate the tip noise mechanism with varying tip shape or geometry, tip pitch high frequency region, f> 5kHz (see Figure 8).
angle setting & its influence on total A weighted sound power levels. Sound pressure level exhibits dipole nature. It is low in cross wind direction compared to
upwind or downwind directions of acoustic field (see Figure 5). [4]
Methodology: 80

Sound Power Level [dBA]

Sharp tip
70 Blunt tip
60 Round tip
Numerical Simulation Tip 50
Tip type Maximum SPL, dB(A)
The sound pressure level is computed using the BPM (Brookes, Pope, Marcolini) angle 40
Sharp 57.55 95.98 -2 30
model [1]. The blade radius 37m is discretized into 20 segments along span direction.
Round 68.36 70.51 3 20
The blade airfoils are NACA 0012, NACA 6320, NACA 63212. The flow over airfoils 10
are assumed 2D in nature & sound pressure levels are calculated at every time step in Blunt 75.94 65.38 5 0
simulation for various observer positions. MATLAB software was used on 4GHz, 2GB Table 2. Comparison of maximum SPL for tip shapes & tip 10 1000 10000 100100000
angles Frequency [Hz]
RAM Dell Workstation for simulation. Bluntness noise is scaled with Mach 5.5 & Tip Figure 7 Influence of tip shapes on the SPL dBA
at 8 m/s wind speed 0o observer position
noise with Mach 4. The G4 & G5 functions represent shape of spectrum. G4 shows
the peak & G5 - overall shape of spectrum. The sound power level, SPL varies as Measured results of noise for 2.3MW equivalent turbine are higher at 1kHz 5kHz by ~5dBA
square of sound pressure level in acoustic field. in spectrum. [3]
. Hump in total sound spectrum at 1kHz is due to Bluntness noise. (see Figure 10)
= . + , + , , (1)
Turbulent inflow noise masks all other noise mechanisms at low frequencies, i.e. f < 200Hz

7 100
100
A weighted sound power

+ .

Sound power level (dBA)

2% chord 1 % chord
= . . + (2) 90
6
TE bluntness ratio [ h/*)

80 80
5 70
level [dBA]

(3)
= . + + + 60 4 60
50
3
40 without tip 40
2 30 Measured ( P. Djikstra)

20 With tip 20
TBL-TE
Inflow
1 Total (dBA)

10 TEB-VS
Tip

0 0 0
10 100 1000 10000 100000 0.03 0.12 0.33 0.59 0.81 0.95 10 100 1000 10000 100000
Chord Frequency [Hz] Non dimensional blade radius [-] Center frequency [Hz]
Figure 1 Geometry of tip shapes [2] Figure 10 Comparison of total SPL (dBA) for all noise
Figure 2 Schematic of airfoil bluntness [1] Figure 9 Trailing Edge Bluntness
a) Round b) Blunt c) Sharp Figure 8 Total SPL (dBA) with, without tip noise at mechanisms at 8m/s, 0o observer position , with
Ratio (h/*) along blade span, height
. . 8m/s, 0o observer position using blunt tip at 3o AoA
scaled to 1 % & 2 % chord length
measured results [3] of an equivalent turbine , 2.3MW ,
= . = 40m blade


+ . .


= . + .

Conclusions & Future work:
. + . +
= = =

Separation length, l of Trailing edge noise exhibits broadband & tonal noise in certain regions of sound spectrum.
boundary layer at tip for Angle of attack (AoA), , computed using Trailing edge bluntness noise is tonal in nature & peaks at 1kHz in total SPL (dBA) spectra.
rounded, sharp & blunt tip BEM model, while slope angle, , Average Tip noise is predominantly tonal at high frequency region (f>1 kHz) in sound spectrum.
blades displacement thickness using BPM model. Maximum reduction of total SPL is ~ 20 dBA for change of 1 % thickness, h, scaled with
chord near 160Hz region.
Results & Discussion: 140
0.1 % chord
Sharp tip blade is less noisy compared with blunt and round tip geometry
Sound Power Level [dB]

14
120
1 % chord Use of serrations & porosity on airfoils offers possibility to reduce noise levels
Reference chord [m] & twist

Ref chord, c
100 2 % chord
12 Twist 80
10
8
60 Acknowledgements:
[deg]

40 The authors wish to thank GITAM University, Hyderabad, Sreyas Institute of Engineering &
6
20 Technology Hyderabad for providing computational lab facilities.
4
0
2
10 100 1000 10000 100000
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Frequency [Hz]
Figure 4 Bluntness source, scaled for different chord lengths, Sound
References:
Non dimensional blade radius [-]
Figure 3 Structural properties of 37m blade
Power level, dB at 8 m/s wind speed 0o observer position [1] Thomas F Brooks, D Pope, Michael A Marcolini. Airfoil Self Noise and Prediction. NASA
publication, (1989)
Trailing edge noise is produced due to result of rapid pressure fluctuations in flow
[2] Wei Jun Zhu,. Modeling of noise from wind turbines, DTU Wind Energy Department.
field & its interaction with surface of airfoil.
Lyngby, Denmark, (2005)
At 0.1 % chord the trailing edge noise amplitude reduces by ~ 20dB found at
[3] Pieter Dijkstra. Rotor noise and aero-acoustic optimization of wind turbine airfoils. TU Delft,
5kHz compared with 1 % chord (see Figure 4)
Netherlands, (2015)
The total SPL reduction is ~ 20dBA & occur 160Hz -1200Hz in spectrum ( Figure 6) [4] Vasishta bhargava, Dr Hima Bindu Venigalla, YD Dwivedi. Turbulent inflow noise prediction
The A weighting filter frequency range is 20Hz 20kHz. Thresholds: 0 dB & 140 dB from wind turbine blade Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, IOSR, (2017)

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