Assessment of wind turbine noise in laboratory conditions

Abstract

The development of wind energy is accompanied by an increase in the number of people whose workplaces and/or places of residence are located near wind farms as well as is accompanied by numerous questions about the influence of wind farms on human. Among the factors related to the operation of wind farms, wind turbine noise has to be seen as a source of annoyance for both people living and working near wind farms. A test bench to conduct noise annoyance tests of different types of wind turbine noise in laboratory conditions have been developed at the Central Institute for Labour Protection - National Research Institute. The test bench is based on a multi-channel sound reproducing system using the DANTE network and is compiled in the acoustic test chamber. The test bench consists of 18 speakers (including studio monitors and woofers) and a laboratory source of infrasound. During exposure to 6 different virtual acoustic environments, representing different wind turbine noise, 40 participants assessed wind turbine noise annoyance. The paper describes the test bench and the results of the studies concerning the assessment of wind turbine noise annoyance.