Frequency Of Offshore Wind Turbine Research Articles

Surrogate model based on ANN for the evaluation of the fundamental frequency of offshore wind turbines supported on jackets

The design of the support structure of offshore wind turbines (OWT) requires the dynamic characterization of the complete structural system, including the soil-foundation subsystem. To minimize resonance phenomena, the structural natural frequencies should be sufficiently apart from those that characterize the different loads. The obtention of natural frequencies can be a computationally expensive procedure, more so if dynamic soil-structure interaction (SSI) phenomena are included. In order to reduce the computational cost, a surrogate model based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is proposed to estimate the fundamental frequency of the assembly formed by the wind turbine, the jacket support structure and the pile foundation. The training dataset is obtained by a finite element substructuring approach in which the dynamic SSI is incorporated through impedance functions obtained from a continuous model. The ability of the proposed ANN-based surrogate model to reproduce the influence that the main variables of the problem have on the fundamental frequency in a sufficiently precise way is shown by comparing its predictions and the results of the finite elements model for new configurations. The high accuracy and significant computational cost reduction justify the use of the surrogate model in applications where a large number of evaluations is required.

Effects of scour on the first natural frequency of monopile in different layered foundations

Scour is ubiquitous in offshore wind farms and threatens the stable state of the natural frequency of offshore wind turbines. The foundation of offshore wind turbines is a layered seabed, which mainly consists of clay, silt, and fine sand layers. However, little published literature can be found on the natural frequencies of monopiles in layered foundations with scour. The objective of this study was to reveal the influence of scour in layered foundations on the natural frequencies of monopoles and study its mechanism based on the dynamic characteristics of layered foundations. Therefore, based on an actual layered seabed, three typical layered foundations were established, and the first natural frequency of the monopile in terms of sensitivity to scour as well as the ability to resist continuous scour in the layered foundations were revealed. Moreover, the experimental results were analysed based on the stiffness and damping variations of the layered foundations under scour conditions. Importantly, a competitive relationship between the stiffness and damping of the layered foundations on the variation of the first natural frequency with scour was found and elaborated for the first time. The competitive relationship was influenced by the proportion of clay in the layered foundation.

Effect of Reinforced Bucket on Bearing Capacity and Natural Frequency of Offshore Wind Turbines Using Pile–Bucket Foundation

Large-diameter monopiles have been widely used for constructing offshore wind turbines. The bearing capacity of a monopile foundation is a significant research problem. In this study, a new type of foundation, known as the pile–bucket foundation, was investigated to improve the bearing capacity of monopiles. A finite element software was used for establishing several numerical models of monopile and pile–bucket foundations to analyze the reinforcement afforded by the bucket attached to the monopile foundation. Furthermore, considering that offshore wind turbines are prone to resonance under the excitation of wind and wave loads, the natural frequencies of the monopile and pile–bucket foundations were determined and compared using both analytical and numerical methods. The results show that compared to the monopile foundation, the pile–bucket foundation has a significantly higher bearing capacity, mainly for large bucket diameters. The natural frequencies of the pile–bucket foundations are slightly higher than those of the monopile foundations. The addition of the bucket can effectively improve the natural frequency without changing the diameter of the monopile and thus saving the foundation cost.

An Accurate Estimation of the Eigenfrequency of an Offshore Wind Turbine Considered as the Stepped Euler-Bernoulli Beam in Three-Spring Flexible Foundation Using the Power Series Method

The present study employs the power series method (PSM) to accurately predict the natural frequencies of eleven offshore wind turbines (OWT). This prediction is very important as it helps in the quick verification of experimental or finite element results. This study idealizes the OWT as a stepped Euler-Bernoulli beam carrying a top mass and connected at its bottom to a flexible foundation. The first part of the beam represents a monopile and the transition piece while its second part is a tower. The foundation is modeled using three springs (lateral, rotational, and cross-coupling springs). This work’s aim is at improving therefore the previous researches, in which the whole wind turbine was taken as a single beam, with a tower being tapered and its wall thickness being negligible compared to its diameter. In order to be closer to real-life OWT, three profiles of the tapered tower are explored: case 1 considers a tower with constant thickness along its height. Case 2 assumes a tower’s thickness being negligible compared to its mean diameter, while case 3 describes the tower as a tapered beam with varying thickness along its height. Next, the calculated natural frequencies are compared to those obtained from measurements. Results reveal that case 2, used by previous researches, was only accurate for OWT with tower wall thickness lower than 15 mm. Frequencies produced in case 3 are the most accurate as the relative error is up to 0.01%, especially for the OWT with thicknesses higher or equal to 15 mm. This case appears to be more realistic as, practically, wall thickness of a wind tower varies with its height. The tower-to-pile thickness ratio is an important design parameter as it highly has impact on the natural frequency of OWT, and must therefore be taken into account during the design as well as lateral and rotational coupling springs.

Three-Dimensional Modeling of Monopiles in Sand Subjected to Lateral Loading under Static and Cyclic Conditions

Here, the results of a three-dimensional finite element study of the complex interaction of horizontal and moment loads (HM) on offshore monopiles as failure envelope, are reported. A new design criterion is described which is based on critical length, ultimate limit states, load characteristics and Eigen-frequency to ensure stable behavior of laterally loaded monopiles. Numerical analyses were performed to examine nonlinear interaction of a soil-pile system for 10,000 load cycles. The resulting framework can predict angular rotation due to cyclic loading. According to the loading level and duration of a load, elastic strains accumulate in the vicinity of a pile. Fairly intermediate two-way cyclic loading induced the largest rotations irrespective of the analysis performed (i.e., drained versus partially drained). Based on the regression coefficients of the non-dimensional frameworks used, accumulating rocking deformations of a pile at seabed level appear to be dependent on cyclic load ratio, drainage condition, and duration of loading. For safe design, sensitivity of the natural frequency of offshore wind turbine (OWT) at a monopile critical length as well as shorter lengths were also examined. The analytical model proposed here for determining the natural frequency of an OWT considers that soil-structure interaction (SSI) can be represented by monopile head springs characterized by lateral stiffness, KL, rotational stiffness, KR, cross-coupling stiffness, KLR, and parabolic soil stiffness variation with depth.

Cyclic response of monopile-supported offshore wind turbines under wind and wave loading in sand

Monopiles are popular solutions as the foundation to support offshore wind turbines (OWTs), which suffer from various amplitudes of continuous lateral cyclic wind and wave loading. The accumulation of tilt and change of the natural frequency of OWTs under cyclic loading have become crucial issues for OWT design. Hence the monopile-tower-soil system was established at the small-scale level based on similarity laws with a suit of constant-amplitude and multi-amplitude tests in dense sand. Two sets of gear-driving assembly were successfully set up to achieve the application of cyclic loading to the model OWT. The amplitude and symmetry of cyclic loading were specified as three indicative regions according to those of real wind farms. On the basis of test results, the two-way loading was found to be the most hazardous situation and the preloading condition led to a high accumulation of tilt. The change of natural frequency was controlled by the load magnitude and tended to increase during cyclic loads, while a sharp decrease was observed when sand subsidence was generated. The post-cyclic lateral capacity seemed to be a slight increase compared with the static capacity. The relevant analyses based on test results can provide practical recommendations for OWT design.

An Investigation into the Effect of Long-Term Cyclic Loading on the Natural Frequency of Offshore Wind Turbines

An Investigation into the Effect of Long-Term Cyclic Loading on the Natural Frequency of Offshore Wind Turbines

Natural frequency of offshore wind turbines on rigid and flexible monopiles in cohesionless soils with linear stiffness distribution

A simplified method is introduced to obtain the fundamental frequency of offshore wind turbines supported by monopile foundations. Soil-pile interaction is modeled based on Winkler approach and concept of beam on elastic foundation. The soil is considered to have linearly varying modulus of subgrade reaction along depth which is a typical assumption for cohesionless soils. Rayleigh method which is based on conservation of total energy of the system is utilized. Firstly the natural frequency of the system with rigid pile is derived and then an innovative procedure is introduced to take pile flexural stiffness into consideration. Comparison between results of the present method with those of a numerical FE model for a typical 2MW wind turbine structure shows excellent agreement for rigid pile and flexible pile with small value of slenderness ratio. The agreement is also good for flexible pile with higher slenderness ratios. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of important parameters of foundation including pile slenderness ratio, pile aspect ratio and pile mass on the system natural frequency.

Monopile head stiffness for servicibility limit state calculations in assessing the natural frequency of offshore wind turbines

Monopiles are used as foundations for offshore wind energy towers. These large diameter monopiles (4–6 m) which result in extremely stiff short monopiles do not follow the same elastic deformation patterns as those exhibited by small diameter (0.5–1.5 m) monopiles usually used for supporting structures in offshore oil and gas industry. Design recommendations (API and DNV among others) which have been developed on the basis of full-scale load tests on long, slender and flexible piles are not suitable for designing foundations for offshore wind turbine structures. Furthermore, as these facilities are very sensitive to rotations and dynamic changes in the soil-pile system, the precise prediction of monopile head displacement and rotation constitutes a design criterion of great importance. In this article, the semi-analytical finite element analysis which combines the conventional finite element method with Fourier series representation of displacements is used for the study of monopiles for offshore wind turbines under lateral loading in homogeneous soils. In order to develop functional forms of design equations for large diameter monopiles like the ones used for supporting offshore wind turbines, an extensive parametric study has been carried out. The analyzed parameters including pile slenderness ratio and soil stiffness allow to obtain simple and approximate closed-form solutions for static head stiffnesses of both rough and smooth short monopiles embedded in homogeneous soils. It has been found that lateral stiffness KL, rotational stiffness KR and cross coupling stiffness KLR for both rough and smooth interfaces depend only on the value of the monopile slenderness Lp/Dp rather than the relative soil/monopile rigidity Ep/Es usually found in the offshore platforms designing codes (DNV code for example). These analytical expressions have been incorporated into the expressions of the Offshore Wind Turbine (OWT) natural frequency of two wind farm sites. Excellent agreement has been found between the computed and the measured natural frequencies.

해상풍력터빈의 고유진동수 예측을 위한 지반에 인입된 파일의 연속체 지반 모델 기반 수평 거동 해석

해상풍력터빈의 고유진동수 예측을 위한 지반에 인입된 파일의 연속체 지반 모델 기반 수평 거동 해석

An analytical model to predict the natural frequency of offshore wind turbines on three-spring flexible foundations using two different beam models

In this study an analytical model of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) supported on flexible foundation is presented to provide a fast and reasonably accurate natural frequency estimation suitable for preliminary design or verification of Finite Element calculations. Previous research modelled the problem using Euler–Bernoulli beam model where the foundation is represented by two springs (lateral and rotational). In contrast, this study improves on previous efforts by incorporating a cross-coupling stiffness thereby modelling the foundation using three springs. Furthermore, this study also derives the natural frequency using Timoshenko beam model by including rotary inertia and shear deformation. The results of the proposed model are also compared with measured values of the natural frequency of four OWTs obtained from the literature. The results show that the Timoshenko beam model does not improve the results significantly and the slender beam assumption may be sufficient. The cross-coupling spring term has a significant effect on the natural frequency therefore needs to be included in the analysis. The model predicts the natural frequency of existing turbines with reasonable accuracy.