Mitigating wind turbine blade noise generation in view of a minimum power generation requirement

A system comprising:

• a wind turbine including a rotor blade having a controllable feature and attached to a rotor hub drivingly coupled to an electric generator, the controllable feature configured if activated to decrease a noise generated by the rotor blade and correspondingly to decrease electric power generated by the electric generator;
• a sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of a present or possible future noise generation state of the rotor blade;
• and
• a controller circuit configured to select a noise mitigation measure responsive to the detected parameter and in compliance with a minimum electric power generation requirement assigned to the wind turbine, and to activate the controllable feature in response to the selected noise mitigation measure.

A system comprising:

• a first wind turbine including a first rotor blade having a first controllable feature and attached to a first rotor hub drivingly coupled to a first electric generator, the first controllable feature configured if activated to decrease a first noise generated by the first rotor blade and correspondingly to decrease a first electric power generated by the first electric generator;
• a second wind turbine including a second rotor blade having a second controllable feature and attached to a second rotor hub drivingly coupled to a second electric generator, the second controllable feature configured if activated to decrease a second noise generated by the second rotor blade and correspondingly to decrease a second electric power generated by the second electric generator;
• a sensor configured to detect a parameter indicative of a present or possible future noise generation state of the first rotor blade or of the second rotor blade;
• a noise manager circuit configured to select a noise mitigation measure (i) responsive to the detected parameter and (ii) in compliance with a first minimum electric power generation requirement assigned to the first electric generator and a second minimum power generation requirement assigned to the second electric generator;
• and
• a control system configured to activate the first controllable feature or second controllable feature as appropriate to implement the selected noise mitigation measure.

A method comprising:

• detecting a parameter indicative of a present or possible future noise generation state of a rotating rotor blade having a controllable feature and attached to a rotor hub driving an electric generator, the controllable feature configured to decrease a noise generated by the rotating rotor blade if activated;
• selecting a noise mitigation measure responsive to the detected parameter and in compliance with a minimum electric power generation requirement assigned to the electric generator;
• and
• activating the controllable feature of the rotating rotor blade in response to the selected noise mitigation measure.

A method comprising:

• detecting a parameter indicative of a present or possible future noise generation state of each rotating rotor blade of at least two rotating rotor blades, each rotating rotor blade respectively having a controllable feature and attached to a respective rotor hub driving a respective electric generator, each controllable feature configured to decrease a noise generated by its respective rotating rotor blade if activated;
• selecting a noise mitigation measure responsive to the detected parameter and in compliance with a minimum electric power generation requirement assigned to each electric generator of the respective electric generators;
• and
• activating a controllable feature of a rotating rotor blade of the at least two rotating rotor blades as appropriate to implement the selected noise mitigation measure.