Optimization of the Aeroacoustics and Aerodynamics of a Wind Turbine Airfoil with Serrations Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making

With the growing demand for green energies and the increasingly stringent regulations on noise emission, improvement of the performance of wind turbines includes both power generation and noise emission. This paper presents a study of the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of the tip airfoil of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) phase VI wind turbine. Taguchi design and Grey grade are employed to optimize trailing edge serration plates over the S809 airfoil. The output is evaluated in the form of a compromise between increased aerodynamic performance and decreased trailing edge noise generation. The results show a reduction in the Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) for all configurations in the lower frequencies. All the considered configurations of the serration plate improve the Overall A-Weighted Sound Pressure Level (OASPL) and the force generation.