Extended source models for wind turbine noise propagation

Accurate prediction of wind turbine noise propagation over long distances requires modeling the dominant broadband aerodynamic noise sources, as well as the main outdoor sound propagation effects. In this study, two methods are compared to include extended aeroacoustic source models in a parabolic equation (PE) code for wind turbine noise propagation in an inhomogeneous atmosphere. In the first method, an initial starter is obtained for each segment of the blade using the backpropagation approach. In the second method, the blade segments are viewed as moving monopole sources, and only a limited number of PE simulations are needed for different source heights across the rotor plane. The two methods are compared to the point source approximation first in a homogeneous medium for validation purposes, and then in a stratified inhomogeneous atmosphere. The results show that an extended source model is necessary to calculate the sound pressure level upwind, where a shadow zone is present, and obtain the correct amplitude modulation levels. Furthermore, the second method is seen to yield as accurate results as the first method when a sufficient number of source heights is considered with a computation time that is much reduced.