Objective criteria for vibration and sound emissions of onshore wind turbines

• Identification of the main parameters and thresholds for an objective assessment of turbine sound and vibration emissions taking into account turbine design, topography, and distance from the place of immission.
• Development of prognosis and simulation models for the emission and propagation of airborne sound (especially infrasound) and vibration (structure-borne sound) interacting with structures, initially for flat terrain and subsequently for complex mountainous terrain and different subsoil strengths.
• Development of strategies for optimising wind turbines through adaptable constructive designs to reduce sound and vibration emissions, this applies, for example, to the positioning of the drive train or of the tower and to shielding procedures.
• Increasing acceptance and creation of a sound database in terms of environmental health and environmental psychology in order to promote an objective discussion of the potential health risks of wind turbines.

TremAc was lead by the Institute of Soil Mechanics and Rock Mechanics (IBF) at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).