Siemens PLM Software Deploys Effective Compliance Technology for Wind Turbines

Author photo: Sharada Prahladrao
BySharada Prahladrao
Category:
Project Success Story

About the Client: Aercoustics Engineering is a privately held company in Ontario, Canada. The company specializes in acoustic design, noise control and vibration control and has been in operation for over 40 years. Their solutions are used across different verticals ranging from architecture, cultural, power generation, transportation, quarry mining etc; and can be used indoors, outdoors, overhead, and even underground.  Aercoustics Engineering is the first and only organization in Canada to secure accreditation for noise testing of wind turbines and is also one of a handful of companies worldwide with this expertise.

Wind Turbines – Technology and Installation: Wind turbines are complex technologies that require close monitoring of all development processes, from design to operation. They are expected to provide high levels of environment-friendly energy efficiently with minimal impact to their surroundings in terms of vibration and noise pollution. Turbine installations are also subject to stringent regulations and certification requirements, challenging wind energy professionals to find the right testing equipment that provides accurate and reliable noise and vibration assessment. Onshore wind turbines, for example, must comply with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61400-11 standard, which quantifies the acceptable emitted sound levels.

Challenges of Deploying a New Standard: Although the company was already using the LMS testing solutions from Siemens PLM Software for measurement, Aercoustics was conducting customized complex data analysis in accordance with the IEC standard after its field tests were completed. The IEC 61400-11 international standard is meant to provide a uniform test procedure and methodology that brings consistency and accuracy across the wind power industry.  However, conducting the tests for edition 3 generates a large amount of data that cannot easily be processed in the field. Aercoustics wanted a system that combined good data management and real-time processing power to get numbers right away – something which the in-house developed Matlab environment or programs that utilize Excel spreadsheet software could not perform.

After discussions about the challenges of the new edition 3, Aercoustics collaborated with Siemens PLM Software to develop a solution that streamlines the noise measurement and analysis process specifically for the wind turbine industry.

Solution: The IEC edition 3 standard has specific acquisition requirements in the field and Aercoustics wanted a tool that would move their analysis further upstream to become more time efficient on projects. Siemens PLM Software provided a beta version of the specific LMS Test. Lab software solution to Aercoustics to get real-time feedback and determine how to optimize it for the engineers in the field. Being able to analyze the data more quickly means there is less back-and-forth between departments, less data transfers and fewer errors. Combining the coding expertise of Siemens PLM Software with the engineering experience of Aercoustics resulted in a solution that was tested and approved to work in the field.

Quantifiable Benefits:  By making the process more efficient, the company can better deliver results to its customers and focus engineering time on projects. Now the engineers can see more accurate measurements in the field and determine if they have enough data or if they need more right away. The LMS Test.Lab environment provided Aercoustics with an opportunity to test the solution for the wind industry to confirm that the program delivers quality data and validation. Moreover, this was not just a one-time, isolated investment; the LMS platform has significantly expanded the company’s capabilities in noise and vibration measurement and this is being leveraged as a competitive advantage.

Aercoustics has already used the LMS testing solutions to perform more than 100 tests for turbine manufacturers in the research and development (R&D) field, wind farm developers and operators across North America.

Keywords: Siemens PLM Software, Aercoustics Engineering, LMS, Wind Turbines, IEC 61400-11 Standard, ARC Advisory Group.

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