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.

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.

Monitoring Changes in the Soil and Foundation Characteristics of an Offshore Wind Turbine Using Automated Operational Modal Analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 569-570 ◽  
pp. 652-659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gert de Sitter ◽  
Wout Weitjens ◽  
Mahmoud El-Kafafy ◽  
Christof Devriendt
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Modal Analysis ◽  
Continuous Monitoring ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Operational Modal Analysis ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Support Structure ◽  
Lower Natural Frequency

This paper will show the first results of a long term monitoring campaign on an offshore wind turbine in the Belgian North Sea. It will focus on the vibration levels and resonant frequencies of the fundamental modes of the support structure. These parameters will be crucial to minimize O&M costs and to extend the lifetime of offshore wind turbine structures. For monopile foundations for example, scouring and reduction in foundation integrity over time are especially problematic because they reduce the fundamental structural resonance of the support structure, aligning that resonance frequency more closely to the lower frequencies. Since both the broadband wave energy and the rotating frequency of the turbine are contained in this low frequency band, the lower natural frequency can create resonant behavior increasing fatigue damage. Continuous monitoring of the effect of scour on the dynamics of the wind turbine will help to optimize the maintenance activities on the scour protection system. To allow a proper continuous monitoring during operation, reliable state-of-the-art operational modal analysis techniques should be used and these are presented in this paper. The methods are also automated, so that no human-interaction is required and the system can track the natural frequencies and damping ratios in a reliable manner.

Fully Coupled Three-Dimensional Dynamic Response of a TLP Floating Wind Turbine in Waves and Wind

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. K. V. Ramachandran ◽  
H. Bredmose ◽  
J. N. Sørensen ◽  
J. J. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Dynamic Model ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Total System ◽  
Wave Loads ◽  
Aerodynamic Loads

A dynamic model for a tension-leg platform (TLP) floating offshore wind turbine is proposed. The model includes three-dimensional wind and wave loads and the associated structural response. The total system is formulated using 17 degrees of freedom (DOF), 6 for the platform motions and 11 for the wind turbine. Three-dimensional hydrodynamic loads have been formulated using a frequency- and direction-dependent spectrum. While wave loads are computed from the wave kinematics using Morison’s equation, aerodynamic loads are modelled by means of unsteady Blade-Element-Momentum (BEM) theory, including Glauert correction for high values of axial induction factor, dynamic stall, dynamic wake and dynamic yaw. The aerodynamic model takes into account the wind shear and turbulence effects. For a representative geographic location, platform responses are obtained for a set of wind and wave climatic conditions. The platform responses show an influence from the aerodynamic loads, most clearly through a quasi-steady mean surge and pitch response associated with the mean wind. Further, the aerodynamic loads show an influence from the platform motion through more fluctuating rotor loads, which is a consequence of the wave-induced rotor dynamics. In the absence of a controller scheme for the wind turbine, the rotor torque fluctuates considerably, which induces a growing roll response especially when the wind turbine is operated nearly at the rated wind speed. This can be eliminated either by appropriately adjusting the controller so as to regulate the torque or by optimizing the floater or tendon dimensions, thereby limiting the roll motion. Loads and coupled responses are predicted for a set of load cases with different wave headings. Based on the results, critical load cases are identified and discussed. As a next step (which is not presented here), the dynamic model for the substructure is therefore being coupled to an advanced aero-elastic code Flex5, Øye (1996), which has a higher number of DOFs and a controller module.

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