1. Underwater Noise Measurements around a Tidal Turbine in a Busy Port Setting.
- Author
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Haxel, Joseph, Zang, Xiaoqin, Martinez, Jayson, Polagye, Brian, Staines, Garrett, Deng, Zhiqun Daniel, Wosnik, Martin, and O'Byrne, Patrick
- Subjects
UNDERWATER noise ,NOISE measurement ,ACOUSTIC emission ,TURBINES ,TECHNICAL specifications - Abstract
Acoustic emissions from current energy converters remain an environmental concern for regulators because of their potential effects on marine life and uncertainties about their effects stemming from a lack of sufficient observational data. Several recent opportunities to characterize tidal turbine sound emissions have begun to fill knowledge gaps and provide a context for future device deployments. In July 2021, a commercial-off-the-shelf hydrophone was deployed in a free-drifting configuration to measure underwater acoustic emissions and characterize a 25 kW-rated tidal turbine at the University of New Hampshire's Living Bridge Project in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Sampling methods and analysis were performed in alignment with the recently published IEC 62600-40 Technical Specification for acoustic characterization of marine energy converters. Results from this study indicate acoustic emissions from the turbine were below ambient sound levels and therefore did not have a significant impact on the underwater noise levels of the project site. As a component of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Triton Field Trials (TFiT) described in this Special Issue, this effort provides a valuable use case for the IEC 62600-40 Technical Specification framework and further recommendations for cost-effective technologies and methods for measuring underwater noise at future current energy converter project sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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