Articles | Volume 10, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-579-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-10-579-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 Mar 2025
Research article |
| 20 Mar 2025
| 20 Mar 2025
Exploring noise annoyance and sound quality for airborne wind energy systems: insights from a listening experiment
Department of Flow Physics and Technology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629 HS, the Netherlands
Renatto M. Yupa-Villanueva
Department of Aircraft Noise and Climate Effects, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629 HS, the Netherlands
Daniele Ragni
Department of Flow Physics and Technology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629 HS, the Netherlands
Roberto Merino-Martínez
Department of Aircraft Noise and Climate Effects, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629 HS, the Netherlands
Piet J. R. van Gool
Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, 5612 AE, the Netherlands
Roland Schmehl
Department of Flow Physics and Technology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629 HS, the Netherlands
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Jelle Agatho Wilhelm Poland, Johannes Marinus van Spronsen, Mac Gaunaa, and Roland Schmehl
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Wind Energ. Sci., 9, 471–493, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-471-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-471-2024, 2024
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This research presents a multi-objective optimisation approach to balance vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) performance and noise, comparing the combined wind speed estimator and tip-speed ratio (WSE–TSR) tracking controller with a baseline. Psychoacoustic annoyance is used as a novel metric for human perception of wind turbine noise. Results showcase the WSE–TSR tracking controller’s potential in trading off the considered objectives, thereby fostering the deployment of VAWTs in urban areas.
Maaike Sickler, Bart Ummels, Michiel Zaaijer, Roland Schmehl, and Katherine Dykes
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This paper investigates the effect of wind farm layout on the performance of offshore wind farms. A regular farm layout is compared to optimised irregular layouts. The irregular layouts have higher annual energy production, and the power production is less sensitive to wind direction. However, turbine towers require thicker walls to counteract increased fatigue due to increased turbulence levels in the farm. The study shows that layout optimisation can be used to maintain high-yield performance.
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Short summary
This study investigates noise annoyance caused by airborne wind energy systems (AWESs), a novel wind energy technology that uses kites to harness high-altitude winds. Through a listening experiment with 75 participants, sharpness was identified as the key factor predicting annoyance. Fixed-wing kites generated more annoyance than soft-wing kites, likely due to their sharper, more tonal sound. The findings can help improve AWESs’ designs, reducing noise-related disturbances for nearby residents.
This study investigates noise annoyance caused by airborne wind energy systems (AWESs), a novel...
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