Case Study: Innovative Technology Applications Company, LLC predicts wind turbine noise with Tecplot 360

Predicting Broadband Noise in Wind Turbines Using Tecplot 360

Innovative Technology Applications Company, LLC (ITAC) faced the challenge of predicting and reducing broadband noise generated by large wind turbines. As physical testing was economically unfeasible, they needed a way to use numerical simulation to examine the complex unsteady flow around turbines and identify the acoustic noise sources. They utilized Tecplot 360 as a key component of their solution.

The solution involved a three-step CFD and acoustics simulation process. Tecplot 360 was the critical visualization tool that fused all the complex data together, enabling ITAC to create 3D animations within an adaptive mesh environment to see and validate their results. This capability to handle a sequence of moving grids with varying points was unique to Tecplot 360 and allowed the team to successfully characterize the noise sources, a vital step toward designing quieter wind turbines.

Innovative Technology Applications Company, LLC

Christopher C. Nelson

Chief Scientist