System, device, and method for noise-based operation of wind turbines

Abstract

A method for use in operating a plurality of wind turbines is provided. An aggregate noise level at one or more geographic positions is calculated. The aggregate noise level is compared to a target noise level associated with the geographic position. When the aggregate noise level differs substantially from the target noise level, an operational adjustment is transmitted to at least one wind turbine controller. When the aggregate noise level is greater than the target noise level, such an operational adjustment may lead to a decrease in the aggregate noise level. Conversely, when the aggregate noise level is less than the target noise level, such an operational adjustment may lead to an increase in the aggregate noise level, facilitating an increase in the overall power output of the wind turbines.

1 . A system for use in operating a plurality of wind turbines, the system comprising:
 a plurality of wind turbine controllers, each wind turbine controller of the plurality of wind turbine controllers operatively coupled to a wind turbine of a plurality of wind turbines; and,   a site controller coupled in communication with the plurality of wind turbine controllers and configured to:
 determine an aggregate noise level at a geographic position based on a plurality of noise levels associated with the plurality of wind turbines; 
 compare the aggregate noise level to a target noise level associated with the geographic position; and, 
 when the aggregate noise level exceeds the target noise level, transmit an operational adjustment to a first wind turbine controller of the plurality of wind turbine controllers, wherein the first wind turbine controller is operatively coupled to a first wind turbine, and a noise level associated with the first wind turbine is reduced when the first wind turbine controller applies the operational adjustment. 
   
     
     
         2 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the site controller is configured to determine the aggregate noise level at least in part by:
 receiving a first noise level associated with the first wind turbine from the first wind turbine controller; and,   calculating a second noise level at the geographic position based at least in part on the first noise level and a distance between the geographic position and the first wind turbine.   
     
     
         3 . A system in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the first wind turbine controller is configured to calculate the noise level based on at least one of a rotor blade geometry, a rotor blade surface roughness, a wind speed, a wind direction, a rotor blade tip speed, a rotor blade pitch angle, and an operational state of the first wind turbine. 
     
     
         4 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the site controller is configured to determine the aggregate noise level at least in part by calculating a noise level associated with the first wind turbine. 
     
     
         5 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising one or more audio sensors configured to provide a noise level measurement, wherein the site controller is configured to determine the aggregate noise level at least in part by sampling the noise level measurements provided by the audio sensors. 
     
     
         6 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the target noise level is a maximum noise level associated with the geographic position, and the operational adjustment is calculated by the site controller to reduce the noise level at the geographic position substantially to the maximum noise level. 
     
     
         7 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the operational adjustment is a first operational adjustment, and when the aggregate noise level is below the target noise level, the site controller is configured to transmit a second operational adjustment to the first wind turbine controller, wherein the noise level associated with the first wind turbine and a power output associated with the first wind turbine are increased when the first wind turbine controller applies the second operational adjustment. 
     
     
         8 . A system in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the aggregate noise level is a first aggregate noise level at a first geographic position that is associated with a first target noise level, and the site controller is further configured to:
 calculate the first aggregate noise level based on a noise level and a distance from the first geographic position that are associated with each wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines;   calculate a second aggregate noise level at a second geographic position that is associated with a second target noise level, wherein the second aggregate noise level is based on a noise level and a distance from the second geographic position that are associated with each wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines; and,   when the second aggregate noise level exceeds the second target noise level, transmit an operational adjustment to at least one wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines.   
     
     
         9 . A device for use in operating a plurality of wind turbines, the device comprising:
 a memory device configured to store a target noise level associated with a geographic position;   a processor coupled to the memory device and programmed to:
 determine an aggregate noise level at the geographic position, the aggregate noise level representing a combination of noise levels associated with a plurality of wind turbines; and, 
 compare the aggregate noise level to the target noise level; and, 
   a communication interface coupled to the processor and configured to transmit an operational adjustment to at least a first wind turbine controller of the plurality of wind turbine controllers when the aggregate noise level differs substantially from the target noise level, the first wind turbine controller operatively coupled to a first wind turbine, wherein the difference between the aggregate noise level and the target noise level decreases when the first wind turbine controller applies the operational adjustment to the first wind turbine.   
     
     
         10 . A device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive a noise level from the first wind turbine controller, and the processor is programmed to determine the aggregate noise level based at least in part on the received noise level. 
     
     
         11 . A device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive one or more operating parameters from the first wind turbine controller, and the processor is further programmed to:
 calculate a noise level associated with the first wind turbine based on the operating parameters; and,   determine the aggregate noise level based at least in part on the calculated noise level.   
     
     
         12 . A device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit an operational adjustment to the first wind turbine controller by transmitting to the first wind turbine controller a desired maximum noise level associated with the first wind turbine. 
     
     
         13 . A device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the communication interface is configured to transmit an operational adjustment to the first wind turbine controller by transmitting to the first wind turbine controller at least one of a rotor blade pitch angle, a maximum rotor blade speed, a maximum torque, and a maximum power output level. 
     
     
         14 . A device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the operational adjustment is a first operational adjustment, and the communication interface is further configured to transmit a second operational adjustment to a second wind turbine controller that is operatively coupled to a second wind turbine when the aggregate noise level differs substantially from the target noise level. 
     
     
         15 . A device in accordance with  claim 9 , wherein the aggregate noise level is a first aggregate noise level at a first geographic position that is associated with a first target noise level, and the processor is further programmed to:
 determine a second aggregate noise level at a second geographic position that is associated with a second target noise level; and,   compare the second aggregate noise level to the second target noise level, wherein the communication interface is further configured to transmit an operational adjustment to at least one wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines when the second aggregate noise level differs substantially from the second target noise level.   
     
     
         16 . One or more computer readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:
 calculate an aggregate noise level at a geographic position;   compare the aggregate noise level to a target noise level associated with the geographic position; and,   transmit an operational adjustment to at least one wind turbine controller when the aggregate noise level differs substantially from the target noise level, wherein the difference between the aggregate noise level and the target noise level decreases when the first wind turbine controller applies the operational adjustment to a first wind turbine.   
     
     
         17 . One or more computer readable storage media in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to calculate the aggregate noise level based at least in part on a plurality of noise level measurements, each noise level measurement of the plurality of noise level measurements corresponding to a geographic position. 
     
     
         18 . One or more computer readable storage media in accordance with  claim 15 , wherein each noise level measurement of the plurality of noise level measurements further corresponds to a direction, and the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to calculate the aggregate noise level based further on the direction associated with each noise level measurement. 
     
     
         19 . One or more computer readable storage media in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the aggregate noise level is a first aggregate noise level at a first geographic position associated with a first target noise level, and when executed by the processor, the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:
 calculate a second aggregate noise level at a second geographic position;   compare the second aggregate noise level to a second target noise level associated with the geographic position; and   determine the operational adjustment based on a first difference between the first aggregate noise level and the first target noise level, and a second difference between the second aggregate noise level and the second target noise level.   
     
     
         20 . One or more computer readable storage media in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to transmit the operational adjustment by transmitting a desired maximum noise level associated with the first wind turbine.