Frequency Versus Time Domain Fatigue Analysis of a Semisubmersible Wind Turbine Tower

2014 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit I. Kvittem ◽  
Torgeir Moan
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Good Representation ◽  
Bending Moments ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Flexible Mode ◽  
Standard Deviations

The current paper deals with a study of a semisubmersible wind turbine (WT), where short-term tower base bending moments and tower fatigue damage were estimated by a frequency domain (FD) method. Both a rigid structure assumption and a generalized degree-of-freedom (DOF) model for including the first flexible mode of the turbine tower were investigated. First, response to wind and wave loads was considered separately, then superposition was used to find the response to combined wind and wave loading. The bending moments and fatigue damage obtained by these methods were compared to results from a fully coupled, nonlinear time domain (TD) analysis. In this study a three column, catenary moored semisubmersible with the NREL 5 MW turbine mounted on one of the columns was modeled. The model was inspired by the WindFloat concept. The TD simulation tool used was Simo-Riflex-AeroDyn from Marintek and CeSOS. The FD method gave a good representation of the tower base bending moment histories for wave-only analyses, for the moderate sea states considered in these analyses. With the assumption that the structure is completely rigid, bending moments were underestimated, but including excitation of the elastic tower and blades, improved the results. The wind-induced low-frequency bending moments were not captured very well, which presumably comes from a combination of nonlinear effects being lost in the linearization of the thrust force and that the aerodynamic damping model was derived for a fixed turbine. Nevertheless, standard deviations of the bending moments were still reasonable. The FD model captured the combined wind and wave analyses quite well when a generalized coordinates model for wind excitation of the first bending mode of the turbine was included. The FD fatigue damage predictions were underestimated by 0–60%, corresponding to discrepancies in standard deviations of stress in the order of 0–20%.

Frequency Versus Time Domain Fatigue Analysis of a Semi-Submersible Wind Turbine Tower

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit I. Kvittem ◽  
Torgeir Moan
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Frequency Domain ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Linear Time ◽  
Frequency Domain Method ◽  
Good Representation ◽  
Bending Moments ◽  
Flexible Mode ◽  
Domain Method

The current paper addresses a study of a semi-submersible wind turbine, where tower base bending moments and short term tower fatigue damage was estimated by a frequency domain method assuming two-dimensional platform motions. Both a rigid structure assumption and a generalised degree of freedom model for including the first flexible mode of the turbine were investigated. First, response wind- and wave loads were considered separately, then superposition was used to find the response to combined wind and wave loading. The bending moments and fatigue damage obtained by these methods were compared to results from a fully coupled, non-linear time domain analyses. In this study a three column, catenary moored semi-submersible with the NREL 5MW turbine mounted on one of the columns was modelled. The time domain simulation tool used was Simo-Riflex-AeroDyn from Marintek and CeSOS. The frequency domain method accounting for a flexible turbine gave a good representation of the tower base bending moment histories for the moderate sea states in these analyses, also for the combined wind and wave analyses. The frequency domain fatigue damage predictions were underestimated by 0–60%, most likely due to the exponential relationship between damage and stress amplitude.

A Fast and Practical Method for Predicting the Fatigue Life of Offshore Wind Turbine Jacket Support Structures

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaoshuai Han ◽  
Yongliang Ma ◽  
Xianqiang Qu ◽  
Peijiang Qin ◽  
Binbin Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Life ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Computational Effort ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Support Structures

Fatigue assessment is a very important part in the design process of offshore wind turbine support structures subjected to wind and wave loads. Fully coupled time domain simulations due to wind and wave loads can potentially provide reliable fatigue predictions, however, it will take high computational effort to carry out fatigue analysis of the simultaneous wind and wave response of the support structure in time domain. For convenience and reducing computational efforts, a fast and practical method is proposed for predicting the fatigue life of offshore wind turbine jacket support structures. Wind induced fatigue is calculated in the time domain using ANSYS based on rainflow counting, and wave induced fatigue is computed in frequency domain using SACS based on a linear spectral analysis. Fatigue damage of X-joints and K-joints under combined environmental loads of wind and wave is estimated by using the proposed method. To verify the accuracy of the proposed formula, fatigue damage based on time domain rainflow cycle counting is calculated and can be considered as a reference. It is concluded that the proposed method provides reasonable fatigue damage predictions and can be adopted for evaluating the combined fatigue damage due to wind and wave loads in offshore wind turbine.

Calibration of a Time-Domain Hydrodynamic Model for A 12 MW Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Eduardo Silva de Souza ◽  
Nuno Fonseca ◽  
Petter Andreas Berthelsen ◽  
Maxime Thys
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Quadratic Model ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Frequency Wave ◽  
Load Models ◽  
Wave Drift ◽  
Floating Wind Turbine ◽  
Decay Tests

Abstract Design optimization of mooring systems is an important step towards the reduction of costs for the floating wind turbine (FWT) industry. Accurate prediction of slowly-varying horizontal motions is needed, but there are still questions regarding the most adequate models for low-frequency wave excitation, and damping, for typical FWT concepts. To fill this gap, it is fundamental to compare existing load models against model tests results. This paper describes a calibration procedure for a three-columns semi-submersible FWT, based on adjustment of a time-domain numerical model to experimental results in decay tests, and tests in waves. First, the numerical model and underlying assumptions are introduced. The model is then validated against experimental data, such that the adequate load models are chosen and adjusted. In this step, Newman’s approximation is adopted for the second-order wave loads, using wave drift coefficients obtained from the experiments. Calm-water viscous damping is represented as a linear and quadratic model, and adjusted based on decay tests. Additional damping from waves is then adjusted for each sea state, consisting of a combination of a wave drift damping component, and one component with viscous nature. Finally, a parameterization procedure is proposed for generalizing the results to sea states not considered in the tests.

Key Contributors to Lifetime Accumulated Fatigue Damage in an Offshore Wind Turbine Support Structure

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emil Smilden ◽  
Erin E. Bachynski ◽  
Asgeir J. Sørensen
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Time Domain Analysis ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Support Structure ◽  
Wear And Tear ◽  
Collateral Effects

A simulation study is performed to identify the key contributors to lifetime accumulated fatigue damage in the support-structure of a 10 MW offshore wind turbine placed on a monopile foundation in 30 m water depth. The relative contributions to fatigue damage from wind loads, wave loads, and wind/wave misalignment are investigated through time-domain analysis combined with long-term variations in environmental conditions. Results show that wave loads are the dominating cause of fatigue damage in the support structure, and that environmental condtions associated with misalignment angle > 45° are insignificant with regard to the lifetime accumulated fatigue damage. Further, the results are used to investigate the potential of event-based use of control strategies developed to reduce fatigue loads through active load mitigation. Investigations show that a large reduction in lifetime accumulated fatigue damage is possible, enabling load mitigation only in certain situations, thus limiting collateral effects such as increased power fluctuations, and wear and tear of pitch actuators and drive-train components.

Short-Term Fatigue Analysis of Semi-Submersible Wind Turbine Tower

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit I. Kvittem ◽  
Torgeir Moan ◽  
Zhen Gao ◽  
Chenyu Luan
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Narrow Band ◽  
Response Spectra ◽  
Spectral Density Function ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Low Wind Speeds

Coupled time domain analyses of a semi-submersible wind turbine are performed with the intention to study motions affecting fatigue damage at the base of the tower. The software applied is SIMO/RIFLEX with the extension TDHmill, which gives the wind thrust force and gyro moment on the wind turbine as point loads in the tower top. Short term environmental conditions are chosen from a joint wind and wave distribution for a site in the Northern North Sea. Variance spectra, mean value, standard deviation, kurtosis, skewness and Vanmarcke’s bandwidth parameter are calculated for stresses at the base of the tower. Damage is calculated for each short term condition by two methods; rainflow counting and narrow band approximation. The accuracy of narrow band approximation estimates for fatigue are examined for the structure in question. Time domain simulations are carried out for different sea states and fatigue damage is calculated for each case. Simulations show that turbulent wind dominates the response at low wind speeds and the response spectral density function tends to be very wide-banded. For wave dominated response, spectra have lower bandwidth, and narrow banded approximation for fatigue damage gives estimates 20–50% above rainflow counted damage.

Effect of Shut-Down Procedures on the Dynamic Responses of a Spar-Type Floating Wind Turbine

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyu Jiang ◽  
Torgeir Moan ◽  
Zhen Gao ◽  
Madjid Karimirad
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Structural Safety ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Main Shaft ◽  
Rotor Speed ◽  
Design Standards ◽  
Floating Wind Turbine

The design standards (IEC, DNV and GL) define a minimum set of combinations of external conditions and design situations as load cases. Like other design load conditions, the design situations relating to fault and shut-down events shall be addressed. Emergency shut down occurs in the presence of severe faults to prevent turbine damage. For pitch-regulated turbines, blade pitching to feather provides an effective means of aerodynamic braking. The blades are pitched to feather at the maximum pitch rate. This action exerts huge loading on the turbine and may challenge the structural safety. In this paper a 5-MW spar-type wind turbine is used as a case study. By using the HAWC2 code, the turbine pitch actuator fault and shut-down scenarios are simulated through external Dynamic Link Libraries. The shut-down scenarios are: normal shut down with blade pitching, emergency shut down with blade pitching, and emergency shut down with blade pitching and mechanical brake. Due to the occurrence of fault, the pitch angle of one blade is fixed from a specific occurrence time. The supervisory controller reacts by pitching the remaining two blades to the maximum pitch set. The maximum yaw motion value is observed after the first revolution of the rotor during which the tower-top torsion experiences a change of direction. Negative platform pitch motion as well as tower-bottom bending moment are induced due to the pitching activity of the two blades. The response extremes of the main shaft bending moment and the yaw motion exhibit clear variation with the blade azimuth when emergency shut down is initiated. The tower-bottom bending moment and nacelle acceleration are relatively more affected by the wave loads. For a given blade azimuth, larger response variation is observed under harsher environmental conditions. Under the fault scenario, the effects of different shut-down procedures on the response extremes are investigated. It is found that the response extremes are affected significantly by the rotor speed. Among the three procedures, normal shut down, which is associated with the slowest decaying aerodynamic excitations and the highest rotor speed, usually leads to the largest response extremes near the rated wind speed. The employment of mechanical brake reduces rotor speed, motion responses and structural responses effectively. During shut down, the responses of yaw motion, nacelle fore-aft acceleration, main shaft bending moment, and tower-bottom side-to-side moment may be of concern for the floating wind turbine studied.

Experimental verification of predicted capability of a wind turbine drivetrain test bench to replicate dynamic loads onto multi-megawatt nacelles

2022 ◽  
pp. 0309524X2110653
Author(s):  
Philippe Giguère ◽  
John R Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Test Bench ◽  
Tracking Error ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Dynamic Loads ◽  
Bending Moments ◽  
Ramp Rate ◽  
Early Screening ◽  
Test Profiles

A total of 27 test profiles from the IEC 61400-1 design load cases were tested using a 7.5-MW wind turbine drivetrain test bench and two multi-megawatt wind turbine drivetrains. Each test profile consisted of simultaneous vertical, lateral, and longitudinal forces, yawing and nodding bending moment, and rotational speed. These test-bench inputs were compared with the forces, bending moments, and speed that were applied to the wind turbine drivetrains to quantify the test-bench tracking error. This tracking error was quantified for a range of ramp-rate limits of the yawing and nodding bending moments. The experimental results were compared with predictions from an evaluation method for the capability of wind turbine drivetrain test benches to replicate dynamic loads. The method’s predictive capability was found to be sufficient for the goal of early screening and its formulation is applicable to any wind turbine drivetrain test bench and drivetrain design.

Coupled Aerodynamic and Hydroelastic Analysis of an Offshore Floating Wind Turbine System Under Wind and Wave Loads

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro Iijima ◽  
Junghyun Kim ◽  
Masahiko Fujikubo
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Structural System ◽  
Floating Structure ◽  
Floating Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbine System ◽  
Offshore Floating Wind Turbine ◽  
The Impact

A numerical procedure for the fully coupled aerodynamic and hydroelastic time-domain analysis of an offshore floating wind turbine system including rotor blade dynamics, dynamic motions and flexible deflections of the structural system is illustrated. For the aerodynamic analysis of wind turbine system, a design code FAST developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is employed. It is combined with a time-domain hydroelasticity response analysis code ‘Shell-Stress Oriented Dynamic Analysis Code (SSODAC)’ which has been developed by one of the authors. Then, the dynamic coupling between the rotating blades and the structural system under wind and wave loads is taken into account. By using this method, a series of analysis for the hydroelastic response of an offshore large floating structure with two rotors under combined wave and wind loads is performed. The results are compared with those under the waves and those under the winds, respectively, to investigate the coupled effects in terms of stress as well as motions. The coupling effects between the rotor-blades and the motions are observed in some cases. The impact on the structural design of the floating structure, tower and blade is addressed.

Large Containerships’ Fatigue Analysis due to Springing and Whipping

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huilong Ren ◽  
Kaihong Zhang ◽  
Hui Li ◽  
Di Wang
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Influence Factor ◽  
Irregular Waves ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Load Case ◽  
Factor Modification

As the sea transport demand increases constantly, marine corporations around the world are pursuing solutions with large scale and low cost, which makes ultra large containerships’ construction consequentially. Ultra large containerships are more flexible relatively, and the 2-node natural frequency can easily fall into the encountered spectrum frequency range of normal sea state. Meanwhile, as the speed of containerships is high and its large bow flare, when sailing with high speed, the bow structures may suffer severe slamming forces which can increase the design wave loads’ level and the fatigue damage. The importance of hydroelastic analysis of large and flexible containerships of today has been pointed out for structure design. Rules of Many Classification Society have made changes on design wave loads’ value and fatigue influence factor modification. The paper firstly introduced 3-D linear hydroelasticity theory to calculate the Response Amplitude Operator (RAO) in frequency domain, and then described 3-D nonlinear hydroelasticity theory to obtain the nonlinear wave loads time history in irregular waves in time domain, considering large amplitude motion and slamming force due to severe relative motion between ship hull and wave. Based on the theories, computer programs are made to conduct the calculations under specified load case, and some calculation and statistical results are compared with experimental results to verify the accuracy and stability of the programs secondly. The paper focused on the influence of springing and whipping on fatigue damages of 8500TEU and 10000TEU containerships in different loading cases, using spectrum analysis method and time domain statistical analysis method. The spectrum analysis method can calculate fatigue damage due to low-frequency wave loads and high-frequency springing separately, while the time domain statistical analysis can calculate fatigue damage due to the high-frequency damping whipping additionally, based on 3-D time domain nonlinear hydroelasticity wave loads’ time series simulation in irregular waves and rain flow counting method. Finally, discussions on influence factor of springing and whipping with different loading cases are made. Based on these two containerships in example, the fatigue damage due to whipping can be the same as the fatigue damage due to springing and even sometimes can be larger than the springing damage. According to the wave loads influence factor, the fatigue assessment of different position on midship section is done on the basis of nominal stress. Besides, some suggestions on calculating load case selection are made to minimize the quantity of work in frequency and time domain. Thus the tools for fatigue influence factor modification are provided to meet the demand of IACS’ UR[1].

Partial Safety Factors for Vertical Bending Loads on Containerships

1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. O¨stergaard
Keyword(s):  
Probability Density ◽  
Reliability Analysis ◽  
Limit State ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Bending Moments ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Safety Factors ◽  
The North ◽  
Design Values ◽  
Partial Safety Factors

International design codes for seagoing steel ships of today are in the process of testing a new safety format with load factors separately multiplied with nominal (code) values of still water and wave loads. This leads to two design values of these loads, the sum of which must not exceed a design value of the strength of the ship structure, which is again a nominal (code) value of strength, this time divided by a strength factor. Such load and strength factors are generally termed partial safety factors. In the paper, vertical still water and wave bending moments of containerships are considered as loads. The partial safety factors are determined on the basis of reliability analysis, i.e., the sum of the design values of the loads will not exceed a design serviceability limit state of the ship’s structure with given probability. To enable reliability analysis, distribution density of the ship’s strength to resist bending moments is based on a stochastic interpretation of nominal (code) values used in the conventional safety format. The probability density of the still water bending moment is obtained from recently published statistical data. The probability density of the wave bending moment is calculated using advanced hydrodynamic and spectral analysis, including long-term statistics of the (North Atlantic) seaway. Reliability and related design values are estimated using the FORM algorithm with due consideration of the different repetition numbers for which the stochastic models of the two bending moments are valid. The results are presented as nonlinear regression formulas and as diagrams that specify partial safety factors related to length and beam of containerships. The nominal values of bending moments to be used with these partial safety factors are given as functions of length, beam, and block coefficient of those ships.

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