Perceptual evaluation of sound synthesis of wind turbine noise

This study brings together several laboratories with the aim of assessing the health effects of "audible" noise (> 20 Hz) and infrasound (< 20 Hz) emitted by wind turbines. To study loudness and annoyance due to this noise, perceptual tests are planned at the LMA, where a restitution cabin has been developed, specifically designed to diffuse very low frequencies and infrasound. As recording wind turbine noise is only possible at low wind speeds for a good quality sound reproduction, it would be interesting to be able to use sound synthesis of wind turbine noise. From sounds recorded in a wind farm for different meteorological conditions, the corresponding sounds have been synthesized. A physical model synthesis was performed, based on an extended-source aeroacoustic model taking into account propagation over flat ground. Dissimilarity tests including recorded and synthesized sounds enabled a 2D perceptual space to be built. Synthesized and the corresponding recorded sounds are closed together in the perceptual space, but some differences can be perceived, mainly due to difference in amplitude of fluctuation and spectral balance. The analysis of the perceptual space opens up interesting prospects for improving the sound synthesis and its use for future perceptual tests.