Abstract
This paper presents a robust repowering approach to the structural response of tubular steel wind turbine towers enhanced by internal stiffening rings. First, a structural response simulation model was validated by comparison with the existing experimental data. This was then followed with a mesh density sensitivity analysis to obtain the optimum element size. When the outdated wind turbine system needs to be upgraded, the wall thickness, the mid-section width-to-thickness ratio and the spacing of the stiffening rings of wind turbine tower were considered as the critical design variables for repowering. The efficiency repowering range of these design variables of wind turbine towers of various heights between 50 and 250 m can be provided through the numerical analysis. Finally, the results of efficiency repowering range of design variables can be used to propose a new optimum design of the wind turbine system when repowering a wind farm.
Highlights
Due to the growing awareness of environmental protection, wind energy has been extensively used in order to meet the renewable energy production targets in the past 30 years
To improve the economy in the design of such towers, the wall thickness, the mid-section width-to-thickness ratio and the spacing of the stiffening rings of the wind turbine tower at different height levels should be considered as the critical design variables for repowering to update the old wind farm
If a repowering occurs in a wind farm, the old wind turbine system should be dismantled, the tower height should be increased and the wind turbine supporting structures should be enhanced by internal stiffening Values rings, a repowering scheme study including
Summary
Due to the growing awareness of environmental protection, wind energy has been extensively used in order to meet the renewable energy production targets in the past 30 years. Hu et al [20] studied the effect of varying the number of stiffening rings with respect to wall thickness variation, on the structural response of steel wind turbine towers. Within this framework the most efficient method for selecting the number of stiffening rings and for reducing the wall thickness in order to strengthen the towers and minimize costs was proposed for each height case. To improve the economy in the design of such towers, the wall thickness, the mid-section width-to-thickness ratio and the spacing of the stiffening rings of the wind turbine tower at different height levels should be considered as the critical design variables for repowering to update the old wind farm. The rate of change of the maximum von Mises stresses and of the horizontal sways for three different tower heights with respect to each of the design variables are compared to provide some repowering advices for wind farm by explore the efficiency repowering range of the variables at hand
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