Field Study of the Movement of Sound Produced by Wind Machines in Vineyards in Niagara, ON, Canada

摘要

Wind machines are tall, fixed-in-place, engine-driven fans that pull warm air down from high above ground during a strong thermal inversion, raising air temperatures around cold-sensitive crops such as grapes. They are used in Niagara, Ontario, Canadato protect against cold injury at three times; winter's extreme cold temperatures; spring's late frosts; and autumn's early frosts. Noise complaints have multiplied as wind machine numbers have risen. A 3-year applied research project commenced in 2005to establish best environmental management practices so the use of wind machines would be limited to those times when absolutely needed, One part of this project included a sound characteristic study discussed in this paper. Results show that wind machines have several unique acoustic properties and that some homes could be more susceptible to noise nuisance than others.