Abstract
This paper explores the preliminary design of the support structures for the IEA Wind Task 37 reference wind farm at the Borssele site III and IV. The study looks at two different design methods that might be used within larger wind farm system design optimization (i.e. lay-out, electrical systems, etc.). The first consists of a scaling tool that scales a detailed design according to the rated power, water depth, hub height and rotor diameter. The second is a physics-based optimization approach that relies on the WISDEM® design tool. This research compares the results of these two methods for the design of both the tower and monopile of the IEA 10-MW and 15-MW reference wind turbines at a range of sea depths (25 m, 30 m, 35 m, 40 m). The two tools yield very similar results in terms of monopile base diameter, support structure natural frequency and mass. WISDEM is then used to also investigate the sensitivity of the design to the tower top forces, wave conditions and the soil conditions. It is shown that tower top forces dominate the design. In general, large diameter structures can carry additional costs associated with manufacturing and transportation requirements. Thus, the paper is concluded with a trade-off study between mass and diameter that quantifies the effect of the reduction in monopile diameter with the increase in structural mass.
Highlights
The design of wind farms seeks to optimize the overall profitability by trading off system performance and cost while meeting prescribed design objectives and constraints
This paper explores the preliminary design of the support structures for the International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Task 37 reference wind farm at the Borssele site III and IV
A maximum diameter constraint of 9 m is imposed for the 10-MW wind turbine, while 10 m is the upper limit for the monopile diameter of the 15-MW turbine
Summary
The design of wind farms seeks to optimize the overall profitability by trading off system performance and cost while meeting prescribed design objectives and constraints. Wind farm design involves many interacting engineering and scientific disciplines (aerodynamics, structural mechanics, meteorology, civil engineering etc) along with the design, placement and sizing of many components (the wind turbine, tower, support structure, lay-out, electrical collection etc.). Engineers have used a sequential approach where each aspect of the design is considered separately. Kallehave et al [2] has argued that an integrated approach is important for achieving the greatest cost reductions. Due to the complexity of a larger integrated optimization, it is not necessarily feasible to perform the sub-component design to the same level of fidelity as one would use in a sequential
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