Leading Edge Erosion of Wind Turbine Blades: Effects of Environmental Parameters on Impact Velocities and Erosion Damage Rate

Abstract Leading edge erosion (LEE) of a wind turbine blade (WTB) is a complex phenomenon that contributes to high operation and maintenance costs. The impact between rain droplets and rotating blades exerts cyclic fatigue stresses on the leading edge — causing progressive material loss and reduced aerodynamic performance. One of the most important parameters for erosion modelling and damage prediction is the relative impact velocity between rain droplets and rotating blade and depends upon the environmental conditions. The environmental condition, in general, could vary for onshore and offshore wind turbines (OWTs) — for instance, the presence of wave-induced loads along with less turbulen…

A comparative study on the dynamic response of three semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbines

Abstract Currently, there is a great interest to globally develop offshore wind energy due to the greenhouse effect and energy crisis. Great efforts have been devoted to develop reliable floating offshore wind energy technology to exploit the wind energy resources in deep seas. This paper presents a comparative study of the dynamic response of three different semisubmersible floating wind turbine structures. All the three platforms support the same 5MW wind turbine. The platforms examined are: a V-shaped Semi, an OC4-DeepCwind Semi and a Braceless Semi at 200 m water depth. A dynamic analysis is carried out in order to calculate and compare the performance of these platforms. The comparison…

Damage identification of a jacket support structure for offshore wind turbines

Offshore jacket structures are regarded as a suitable type of support structure for offshore wind turbines in immediate water depths. Because of the welded tubular members used and environmental conditions, offshore jackets are often subjected to fatigue damages during their service life. Underwater sensors can provide measurements of the structural vibration signals and provide an efficient way to detect damages at early stages. In this work, simplified forms of the damages are assumed, random damages are imposed on the jacket structure, and damaged indicators are established from combination of modal shapes. Then, a response surface is constructed mapping the damage indicators and damages…

Comparison of numerical modelling techniques for impact investigation on a wind turbine blade

Wind turbine blades are exposed to numerous impact risks throughout their lifetimes. The impact risks range from bird collisions during operation to impacts with surrounding structures at the time of transportation and installation. Impact loads on the fibre composite blades can induce several complex, simultaneously interacting and visually undetectable damage modes and have a high potential to reduce the local and global blade stiffness. An assessment of such impact-induced damages is therefore necessary and usually involves high computational costs using numerical procedures, especially when analysing large composite components. To minimise this computational expense, different numerical…

Numerical study of a concept for major repair and replacement of offshore wind turbine blades

Repair and replacement of offshore wind turbine blades are necessary for current and future offshore wind turbines. To date, repair activities are often conducted using huge jack-up crane vessels and by applying a reverse installation procedure. Because of the high costs associated with installation and removal of offshore wind turbine components and the low profit margin of the offshore wind industry, alternative methods forinstallation and removal are needed. This paper introduces a novel concept for replacement or installation of offshore windturbine blades. The concept involves a medium-sized jack-up crane vessel and a tower climbing mechanism. This mechanism provides a stable platform …

A synthesis of feasible control methods for floating offshore wind turbine system dynamics

Abstract During the past decade, the development of offshore wind energy has transitioned from near shore with shallow water to offshore middle-depth water regions. Consequently, the energy conversion technology has shifted from bottom-fixed wind turbines to floating offshore wind turbines. Floating offshore wind turbines are considered more suitable, but their cost is still very high. One of the main reasons for this is that the system dynamics control method is not well-adapted, thereby affecting the performance and reliability of the wind turbine system. The additional motion of the platform tends to compromise the system’s performance in terms of power maximization, power regulation, an…

Load mitigation method for wind turbines during emergency shutdowns

Wind turbines experience countless shutdowns during their lifetimes. A shutdown is a transient process characterised by a pitch-to-feather manoeuvre of three blades. Such a pitch manoeuvre is often collective, open-loop, and can substantially slow the rotor speed within several seconds. However, undesirable structural responses may arise because of the imbalanced aerodynamic loads acting on the rotor. To address this issue, this paper proposes a method that actively adjusts the individual pitch rate of each blade during an emergency shutdown. This method is founded on a minimal intervention principle and uses the blade-root bending moment measurements as the only inputs. The control objecti…

Design, modelling, and analysis of a large floating dock for spar floating wind turbine installation

Installation of floating wind turbines at the offshore site is a challenging task. A significant part of the time efficiency and costs are related to the installation methods which are sensitive to weather conditions. This study investigates a large floating dock concept, which can be used to shield a floating wind turbine during installation of tower, nacelle, and rotor onto a spar foundation. In this paper, the concept is described in detail, and a design optimisation is carried out using simple design constraints. Hydrodynamic analysis and dynamic response analysis of the coupled system of the optimum dock and spar are conducted. Two spars of different sizes are considered, and the motio…

Design and model test of a soft-connected lattice-structured floating solar photovoltaic concept for harsh offshore conditions

Various types of floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) devices have been previously proposed, designed and constructed with applications primarily limited to onshore water bodies or nearshore regions with benign environmental conditions. This paper proposes a novel FPV concept which can survive harsh environmental conditions with extreme wave heights above 10 m. This concept uses standardised lightweight semi-submersible floats made of circular materials as individual modules. The floating modules are soft connected with ropes to form an FPV array. We first present the conceptual design of the floats and the connection systems, including hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, and structural assessments of …

Foundations of offshore wind turbines: A review

Abstract Offshore wind is a source of clean, renewable energy of great potential value to the power industry in the context of a low carbon society. Rapid development of offshore wind energy depends on a good understanding of technical issues related to offshore wind turbines, which is spurring ongoing research and development programmes. Foundations of offshore wind turbines present one of the main challenges in offshore wind turbine design. This paper reviews the present state of knowledge concerning geotechnical and structural issues affecting foundation types under consideration for the support structures of offshore wind turbines, and provides recommendations for future research and de…

Active heave compensation of floating wind turbine installation using a catamaran construction vessel

Abstract The application of floating wind turbines is limited by the high cost that increases with the water depth. Offshore installation and maintenance continue to consume a high percentage of the project budget. To improve the installation efficiency of the floating offshore wind turbine, a novel concept is proposed by the SFI MOVE project. Several wind turbine superstructure components are preassembled onshore and carried to the installation site by a catamaran construction vessel. Each assembly can then be installed using only one lift, and the concept is less sensitive to weather conditions. In this paper, a control algorithm of the proposed hydraulic active heave compensator system i…

Transient response of a TLP-type floating offshore wind turbine under tendon failure conditions

Abstract Among various types of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs), the tension leg platform (TLP) floating wind turbines have relatively small motions due to stiff tendons. Similar to TLP applications in the offshore industry, tendon failure may lead to deteriorated stability and large transient responses, which should be considered as part of accidental limit state (ALS) checks at the design stage of the TLP FOWTs. This paper takes the WindStar TLP system as a representative and investigates the transient effects of one-tendon failure on the system responses. A coupled numerical model is first established using the aero-hydro-servo-elastic simulation tool FAST. Subsequent numerical s…

Active Single-Blade Installation Using Tugger Line Tension Control and Optimal Control Allocation

Integrated GNSS/IMU Hub Motion Estimator for Offshore Wind Turbine Blade Installation

Abstract Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) have become increasingly popular for their ability to harvest clean offshore wind energy. Bottom-fixed foundations are the most used foundation type. Because of its large diameter, the foundation is sensitive to wave loads. For typical manually assisted blade-mating operations, the decision to perform the mating operation is based on the relative distance and velocity between the blade root center and the hub, and in accordance with the weather window. Hence, monitoring the hub real-time position and velocity is necessary, whether the blade installation is conducted manually or automatically. In this study, we design a hub motion estimation algorithm f…

Analysis of spar and semi-submersible floating wind concepts with respect to human exposure to motion during maintenance operations

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are expected to experience onsite maintenances and inspections during their lifetimes. To carry out offshore maintenance activities, a crew will be transferred to an FOWT and spend several hours on board. A challenge may arise if the motions of a floating platform affect the crew's comfort level and further jeopardise their work performance or even health. To address this challenge, this paper analyses the motion characteristics and dynamic properties of a spar and two semi-submersible FOWTs, all exhibiting very different motion characteristics. The impact of the platform motions and accelerations on the workability of the FOWTs are investigated. We c…

Two-Dimensional Numerical Modelling of a Moored Floating Body under Sloping Seabed Conditions

A coupled floating body-mooring line model is developed by combining a boundary element model for a two-dimensional floating body and a catenary mooring line model. The boundary element model is formulated in the time domain by a continuous Rankine source, and a reflection potential is introduced to account for the wave reflection due to sloping seabed. This newly developed model is validated by comparisons against available data. Then, dynamic response analyses are performed for the moored body in various seabed conditions. Compared with a flat seabed, a sloping seabed causes unsymmetrical mooring line configuration and generates noticeable effects in the motion responses of the floating b…

Nonlinear air dynamics of a surface effect ship in small-amplitude waves

In many existing works, the seakeeping motions and air dynamics of a surface effect ship (SES) were assumed to be linear under small-amplitude waves (wave amplitude to wave length ratio ≤ 5%) to enhance the computational efficiency. However, according to SES model test results, it was found that even in small-amplitude waves, the fluctuating air cushion pressure shows significantly nonlinear effects. To precisely reveal this distinctive feature, the origin of nonlinearity was carefully investigated and the air leakage was considered as the main source of nonlinearity based on mathematical analysis in this paper. The reason is that the variance of clearance height under seals is comparable t…

A computational framework for coating fatigue analysis of wind turbine blades due to rain erosion

Author's accepted manuscript The rain-induced fatigue damage in the wind turbine blade coating has attracted increasing attention owing to significant repair and maintenance costs. The present paper develops an improved computational framework for analyzing the wind turbine blade coating fatigue induced by rain erosion. The paper first presents an extended stochastic rain field simulation model that considers different raindrop shapes (spherical, flat, and spindle), raindrop sizes, impact angles, and impact speeds. The influence of these raindrop characteristics on the impact stress of the blade coating is investigated by a smoothed particle hydrodynamics approach. To address the expensive …

Integrated dynamic analysis of a spar floating wind turbine with a hydraulic drivetrain

Conventional drivetrains with gearbox failures are associated with major downtime in offshore wind turbines. This impacts the maintenance cost and cost of energy. A hydraulic transmission eliminates the need for gearbox and potentially improves the turbine reliability. This paper explores the application of a novel high-pressure transmission machinery to a utility-scale spar floating wind turbine. We present a dynamic model of a hydraulic system consisting of a hydraulic pump, pipelines, a hydraulic motor, and an induction generator. The motor is placed inside the spar platform and operates at a fixed displacement. The hydraulic system is coupled with the aero-hydro-elastic code HAWC2 throu…

A probabilistic rainfall model to estimate the leading-edge lifetime of wind turbine blade coating system

Rain-induced leading-edge erosion of wind turbine blades is associated with high repair and maintenance costs. For efficient operation and maintenance, erosion models are required that provide estimates of blade coating lifetime at a real scale. In this study, a statistical rainfall model is established that describes probabilistic distributions of rain parameters that are critical for site-specific leading-edge erosion assessment. A new droplet size distribution (DSD) is determined based on two years’ onshore rainfall data of an inland site in the Netherlands and the obtained DSD is compared with those from the literature. Joint probability distribution functions of rain intensities and dr…

Experimental and numerical investigations of a two-body floating-point absorber wave energy converter in regular waves

Abstract This paper presents experimental and numerical studies on the hydrodynamics of a two-body floating-point absorber (FPA) wave energy converter (WEC) under both extreme and operational wave conditions. In this study, the responses of the WEC in heave, surge, and pitch were evaluated for various regular wave conditions. For extreme condition analysis, we assume the FPA system has a survival mode that locks the power-take-off (PTO) mechanism in extreme waves, and the WEC moves as a single body in this scenario. A series of Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations was performed for the survival condition analysis, and the results were validated with the measurements from exper…

A Damage Identification Approach for Offshore Jacket Platforms Using Partial Modal Results and Artificial Neural Networks

This paper presents a damage identification method for offshore jacket platforms using partially measured modal results and based on artificial intelligence neural networks. Damage identification indices are first proposed combining information of six modal results and natural frequencies. Then, finite element models are established, and damages in structural members are assumed by reducing the structural elastic modulus. From the finite element analysis for a training sample, both the damage identification indices and the damages are obtained, and neural networks are trained. These trained networks are further tested and used for damage prediction of structural members. The calculation res…

Mooring Analysis of a Dual-Spar Floating Wind Farm With a Shared Line

AbstractWind farms with shared mooring lines have the potential to reduce mooring costs. However, such wind farms may encounter complex system dynamics because adjacent wind turbines are coupled. This paper presents an analysis of the shared mooring system with a focus on the system natural periods. We first apply Irvine’s method to model both the shared line and the two-segment single lines. The response surface method is proposed to replace iterations of the catenary equations of the single lines, and a realistic single line design is presented for OC3 Hywind. Then, system linearization and eigenvalue analysis are performed for the wind farm consisting of two spar floating wind turbines, …

Modeling of a Shared Mooring System for a Dual-Spar Configuration

Abstract As floating wind turbines become more technically mature, the development of floating wind farms is under way. Cost-effective solutions are desired to reduce the mooring costs. The concept of a shared mooring system has been proposed for this purpose. This work presents a method to model the shared mooring system for a dual-spar configuration. By applying the theory in elastic catenary of cable structures, a shared line can be modelled. To verify the method, a dual-spar system is modelled in a multibody simulation tool, in which two floating wind turbines are connected via a shared line. Static analyses are performed by using the present method and the simulation tool. Further, a s…

Effect of a Passive Tuned Mass Damper on Offshore Installation of a Wind Turbine Nacelle

Abstract Although the installation of offshore wind turbines takes place in calm seas, successful mating of wind turbine components can be challenging due to the relative motions between the two mating parts. This work investigates the effect of a passive tuned mass damper on the mating processes of a nacelle for a 10-megawatt (MW) offshore wind turbine. A nacelle with lifting wires and a monopile with a mass damper are respectively modelled using the multibody formulation in the HAWC2 program. A single mass damper is tuned to target at the first natural period of the monopile and is coupled to the main program using a dynamic link library. Afterwards, numerical simulations were carried out…

Installation of offshore wind turbines: A technical review

Abstract The installation phase is a critical stage during the lifecycle of an offshore wind turbine. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the technical aspects of offshore wind turbine installation. An overview is first presented introducing the classification of offshore wind turbines, installation vessels, rules and regulations, and numerical modelling tools. Then, various installation methods and concepts for bottom-fixed and floating wind turbines are critically discussed, following the order of wind turbine foundations and components. Applications and challenges of the methods are identified. Finally, future developments in four technical areas are envisioned. This review …

Influence of variability and uncertainty of wind and waves on fatigue damage of a floating wind turbine drivetrain

Abstract This study investigates the effect of variability and uncertainty of wind and wave conditions on the short-term fatigue damage of a 10-MW floating wind turbine drivetrain. Global dynamic responses of a semi-submersible wind turbine are calculated by aero-hydro-servo-elastic simulations in various environmental conditions. Then, rotor and generator loads, as well as nacelle motions from the global analysis are provided to a drivetrain model to investigate its dynamics. One-hour fatigue damage of the drivetrain bearings is calculated based on the bearing loads and speeds, and the effect of uncertainties related to wind and waves is assessed. The results indicate that the variations o…

Leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades: Effects of blade surface curvature on rain droplet impingement kinematics

Abstract The issue of leading edge erosion (LEE) of wind turbine blades (WTBs) is a complex problem that reduces the aerodynamic efficiency of blades, and affects the overall cost of energy. Several research efforts are being made at the moment to counter erosion of WTBs such as-testing of advanced coating materials together with development of high-fidelity computational models. However, the majority of these studies assume the coated surfaces as flat, while the surface curvature and the shape of the aerofoil at the blade’s leading-edge exposed to such rain fields is neglected. The present study questions the assumption of a flat surface, in the context of LEE of WTBs, and provides guideli…

Hydrodynamic Analysis of Floating Docks With Alternative Geometries for Floating Wind Turbine Installation

Abstract Installation of spar floating wind turbine offshore is a challenging task. Usually, the spar platform is upended first, and mating of the tower assembly with the spar platform is assisted by a crane vessel. Due to motions of the spar platforms and of the crane vessel, such an operation often takes place in shielded areas with relatively small wave heights and wind speed. The floating dock concept has been recently proposed to expand the weather window for installing spar floating wind turbines. The idea is to use a cylindrical dock to shield the spar platform from wave excitations. However, because of the trapped internal fluid, the cylindrical geometry is subjected to piston mode …

Minimum Leading Edge Protection Application Length to Combat Rain-Induced Erosion of Wind Turbine Blades

Leading edge erosion (LEE) repairs of wind turbine blades (WTBs) involve infield application of leading edge protection (LEP) solutions. The industry is currently aiming to use factory based LEP coatings that can applied to the WTBs before they are shipped out for installation. However, one of the main challenges related to these solutions is the choice of a minimum LEP application length to be applied in the spanwise direction of the WTBs. Generally, coating suppliers apply 10–20 m of LEP onto the blades starting from the tip of the blade using the “rule of thumb”, and no studies in the literature exist that stipulate how these LEP lengths can be calculated. In this study, we extend the sc…

A probabilistic long‐term framework for site‐specific erosion analysis of wind turbine blades: A case study of 31 Dutch sites

Abstract Rain‐induced leading‐edge erosion (LEE) of wind turbine blades (WTBs) is associated with high repair and maintenance costs. The effects of LEE can be triggered in less than 1 to 2 years for some wind turbine sites, whereas it may take several years for others. In addition, the growth of erosion may also differ for different blades and turbines operating at the same site. Hence, LEE is a site‐ and turbine‐specific problem. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic long‐term framework for assessing site‐specific lifetime of a WTB coating system. Case studies are presented for 1.5 and 10 MW wind turbines, where geographic bubble charts for the leading‐edge lifetime and number of repai…

Offshore wind turbine operations and maintenance: A state-of-the-art review

Abstract Operations and maintenance of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) play an important role in the development of offshore wind farms. Compared with operations, maintenance is a critical element in the levelized cost of energy, given the practical constraints imposed by offshore operations and the relatively high costs. The effects of maintenance on the life cycle of an offshore wind farm are highly complex and uncertain. The selection of maintenance strategies influences the overall efficiency, profit margin, safety, and sustainability of offshore wind farms. For an offshore wind project, after a maintenance strategy is selected, schedule planning will be considered, which is an optimizati…

Numerical Study on the Heading Misalignment and Current Velocity Reduction of a Vessel-Shaped Offshore Fish Farm

Recently, the concept of a vessel-shaped fish farm was proposed for open sea applications. The fish farm comprises a vessel-shaped floater, five fish cages, and a single-point mooring system. Such a system weathervanes, and this feature increases the spread area of fish waste. Still, the downstream cages may experience decreased exchange of water flow when the vessel heading is aligned with the current direction, and fish welfare may be jeopardized. To ameliorate the flow conditions, a dynamic positioning (DP) system may be required, and its power consumption should relate to the heading misalignment. This paper proposes an integrated method for predicting the heading misalignment between t…

Design optimization of mooring system: An application to a vessel-shaped offshore fish farm

Abstract Design optimization of mooring systems of offshore floating structures is a challenging task, partly because of the large number of design variables, complicated design constraints, nonlinear system behavior, and time-consuming numerical simulations. For engineering designs, efficient yet accurate approaches are needed. This paper proposes an integrated optimization methodology for design of mooring systems. The methodology integrates the design of experiments, screening analysis, time-domain simulations, and a metamodel-based optimization procedure. To demonstrate the methodology, the mooring system of a vessel-shaped offshore fish farm was designed considering the ultimate limit …

Numerical and analytical analysis of a monopile-supported offshore wind turbine under ship impacts

Abstract Offshore wind turbines in the vicinity of ship traffic are exposed to increased risks of ship collisions. To better understand the impact mechanism, this paper evaluates the dynamic responses of a monopile-supported wind turbine under ship impacts, using both numerical and analytical methods. The nonlinear finite element method is applied during the numerical simulations, and the wind load effects, soil conditions, and rigid and deformable ship bows are considered. The analytical approach, originally developed based on the energy method, is extended here to address the damping effects of monopile-supported wind turbines. In the case study, the impacts are studied between a 4600-ton…

Extended Environmental Contour Methods for Long-Term Extreme Response Analysis of Offshore Wind Turbines1

Abstract Environmental contour method is an efficient method for predicting the long-term extreme response of offshore structures. The traditional environmental contour is obtained using the joint distribution of mean wind speed, significant wave height, and spectral peak period. To improve the accuracy of traditional environmental contour method, a modified method was proposed considering the non-monotonic aerodynamic behavior of offshore wind turbines. Still, the modified method assumes constant wind turbulence intensity. In this paper, we extend the existing environmental contour methods by considering the wind turbulence intensity as a stochastic variable. The 50-year extreme responses …

Flow characteristics and dynamic responses of a parked straight‐bladed vertical axis wind turbine

Abstract With the development of urbanization and the application of renewable energy, wind turbine is becoming an important approach for wind energy reservation and utilization. This study provides a numerical investigation on understanding the surface pressure distribution, flow characteristics and dynamic responses of a parked straight‐bladed vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT), which is helpful for its design. Together with the two‐way coupling method between simulation platforms such as STAR‐CCM+ and ABAQUS, the SST k‐ω turbulence model is used to obtain the surface pressure and surrounding flow of the VAWT, and the finite element method is used to obtain the dynamic responses of its str…

Effects of Onshore and Offshore Environmental Parameters on the Leading Edge Erosion of Wind Turbine Blades: A Comparative Study

Abstract The presence of rain-induced leading edge erosion of wind turbine blades (WTBs) necessitates the development of erosion models. One of the essential parameters for erosion modeling is the relative impact velocity between rain droplets and the rotating blade. Based on this parameter, the erosion damage rate of a WTB is calculated to estimate the expected leading edge lifetime. The environmental conditions that govern this parameter have site-specific variations, and thus, rain and wind loading on a turbine differ for onshore and offshore locations. In addition, there are wave loads present in the offshore environment. The present paper tries to provide guidelines for erosion modelin…

Extended Environmental Contour Methods for Long-Term Extreme Response Analysis of Offshore Wind Turbines

Author's accepted manuscript. Environmental contour method is an efficient method for predicting the long-term extreme response of offshore structures. The traditional environmental contour is obtained using the joint distribution of mean wind speed, significant wave height, and spectral peak period. To improve the accuracy of traditional environmental contour method, a modified method was proposed considering the non-monotonic aerodynamic behavior of offshore wind turbines. Still, the modified method assumes constant wind turbulence intensity. In this paper, we extend the existing environmental contour methods by considering the wind turbulence intensity as a stochastic variable. The 50-ye…

Numerical investigation of rain droplet impact on offshore wind turbine blades under different rainfall conditions: A parametric study

The leading edge of a fiber composite wind turbine blade (WTB) is prone to erosion damages due to repeated rain droplet impact during its service life. Such damages are critical to the blade's aerodynamic as well as structural performance, ultimately resulting in substantial repair costs. An effective design of a coating material for WTB is necessary and its analysis must include variables associated with erosive rain droplets such as (1) droplet diameter, (2) impact velocity, and (3) droplet impact angle. The present paper develops and validates a coupled fluid structure interaction (FSI) computational model for simulating rain droplet impact on WTBs, where the structure domain is modelled…

Second-order hydrodynamic effects on the response of three semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbines

Abstract Floating structures have become the most feasible solution for supporting wind turbines when offshore wind project move to deeper water. In this paper, a hydrodynamic analysis of three different semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbines is carried out including second-order hydrodynamic effects. The three examined platforms are V-shaped semisubmersible, Braceless semisubmersible and OC4-DeepCwind semisubmersible and are used to support the NREL 5 MW reference wind turbine. The main objective of the present study is to investigate and compare the hydrodynamic response of the three different semisubmersible floaters in two water depths (100 m, and 200 m) under different load co…

Structural Safety Assessment of Marine Operations From a Long-Term Perspective: A Case Study of Offshore Wind Turbine Blade Installation

Abstract A marine operation is a complex non-routine activity of limited duration carried out in offshore environment. Due to safety reasons, these operations are normally performed within specific sea state limits, which are derived from numerical modelling and analysis of hazardous events. In view of the uncertainties in the assessment of structural responses under stochastic environmental conditions, these limiting curves correspond to a target structural failure probability recommended in offshore standards (for example, 10−4 per operation as specified by DNV-GL). However, one of the main limitations is that these curves do not reflect site-specific safety assessment. The current paper …

Effect of Wind Turbulence on Extreme Load Analysis of an Offshore Wind Turbine

Abstract Evaluation of dynamic responses under extreme environmental conditions is important for the structural design of offshore wind turbines. Previously, a modified environmental contour method has been proposed to estimate extreme responses. In the method, the joint distribution of environmental variables near the cut-out wind speed is used to derive the critical environmental conditions for a specified return period, and the turbulence intensity (TI) of wind is assumed to be a deterministic value. To address more realistic wind conditions, this paper considers the turbulence intensity as a stochastic variable and investigates the impact on the modified environmental contour. Aerodynam…