Abstract
AbstractThe structural integrity of offshore wind turbine (OWT) support structures is affected by one of the most severe damage mechanisms known as pitting corrosion‐fatigue. In this study, the structural reliability of such structures subjected to pitting corrosion‐fatigue is assessed using a damage tolerance modelling approach. A probabilistic model that ascertains the reliability of the structure is presented, incorporating the randomness in cyclic load and corrosive environment as well as uncertainties in shape factor, pit size and aspect ratio. A non‐intrusive formulation is proposed consisting of a sequence of steps. First, a stochastic parametric Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is performed using SMART© crack growth and Design Xplorer© facilities within the software package ANSYS. Secondly, the results obtained from the FEA are processed using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) response surface modelling technique. Finally, the First Order Reliability Method (FORM) is used to calculate the reliability indices of components. The results reveal that for the inherent stochastic conditions, the structure becomes unsafe after the 18th year, before the attainment of the design life of 20 years. The FEA results are in very good agreement with results obtained from analysis steps outlined in design standard BS 7910 and other references designated as ‘theoretical analysis methods’ in this study. The results predict, for the case study, that the pit growth life is approximately 56% of the total pitting corrosion fatigue life. Sensitivity analysis results show that the aspect ratio of pits at critical size plays a significant role on the reliability of the structure.
Highlights
Renewable energy technologies are widely deployed in many parts of the world, including Europe, China, and United States.[1]
The soil-structure interaction aspect is often neglected in offshore wind turbine (OWT) support structures modelling,[55] it is included in this study for improved accuracy of the results
An structural reliability assessment (SRA) of an OWT support structure subjected to pitting corrosion-fatigue was performed by employing the damage tolerance model approach
Summary
Renewable energy technologies are widely deployed in many parts of the world, including Europe, China, and United States.[1]. A solution is to deploy wind turbines at sea minimizing sound and visual impact, with additional capacity factor benefits obtained from the improved wind domain due to unobstructed fetch. This has led to the increasing development of offshore wind industry, especially in Europe where the offshore wind energy capacity is expected to reach 64.8 GW by 2030.1,3–7. Space frames can be cheaper in deep-water circumstances, and they can contribute to the offshore wind industry's goal on the reduction of levelized cost of energy (LCoE) Designing these structures effectively is resource-intensive, especially when designing to withstand the wide set of dynamic loading mechanisms. Research is still required to improve the design and analysis of jacket type support structures,[10,11] with due consideration of the requirement for manufacturing optimization if ever these structures are to be mass-produced
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