Offshore Wind Power Industry Research Articles

Factors influencing the digital intelligence transformation of offshore wind power enterprise

China's offshore wind power industry is advancing toward a digital transformation, and its development is considered a crucial strategic pillar of China's energy structure transformation. Facing challenges such as high costs, technical difficulties, lack of industry standards, insufficient industrial economies of scale, and even ecological threats, China's offshore wind power industry in the new period urgently requires innovative paths for further development. Driven by policy guidance and market demand, many enterprises have embarked on digital upgrading by introducing digital technology into their business processes, thus achieving a more efficient and intelligent production management mode to enhance industry competitiveness. However, due to the inherent peculiarities of the offshore wind power industry, its implementation of digital technology faces certain technical difficulties and systemic risks. This study presents a case study of Mingyang Smart Energy and related organizations conducted using in-depth interviews, and focuses on the practical circumstances of China's offshore wind power industry undergoing digital transformation. This study also applies the grounded theory to analyze the driving factors and mechanisms of digital transformation and provides an in-depth discussion of the characteristics of different stages of the transformation, including digital technology function leap, management and platform construction, as well as digital operation and value creation. The study results can enrich the theoretical study of digital transformation and provide practical guidance for the offshore wind power industry to achieve intelligent, efficient, and sustainable development.

Global offshore wind turbine detection: a combined application of deep learning and Google earth engine

ABSTRACT As a renewable energy source, ocean wind energy plays an important role in addressing challenges such as global energy shortages and climate warming. In the past decade, the offshore wind power industry has developed rapidly. However, its development has also inevitably affected local social, economic and environmental aspects. Therefore, a timely understanding of offshore wind power dynamics development is crucial for its healthy and sustainable development. Based on this, this study designs and develops a more economical, reliable and real-time offshore wind turbine (OWT) extraction method by combining deep learning and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform. The method consists of two main steps. The first part utilizes multiple semantic segmentation models to construct a multi-model detection method to initially detect OWTs. The second part utilizes the GEE cloud computing platform for installation time detection and secondary purification processing of the preliminary results. The results show that the number of global OWTs reached 13,609 by 2023, and the accuracy of the detection results reached 99.93%. China has been the fastest-growing country in offshore wind power in the last decade, from installing only 4 units in 2015 to installing 6,775 units in 2023 and surpassing the UK in 2020 and becoming the country building the most OWTs worldwide. Currently, 85% of the world’s OWTs are located in China and European North Sea waters. Additionally, other regions have great potential for offshore wind development. Finally, this study provides the world’s most up-to-date and complete OWT dataset, which can provide data support for research on marine ecological and environmental protection, marine spatial planning, and socioeconomic benefits.

Numerical Investigation into the Stability of Offshore Wind Power Piles Subjected to Lateral Loads in Extreme Environments

Monopile foundations are extensively utilized in the rapidly expanding offshore wind power industry, and the stability of these foundations has become a crucial factor for ensuring the safety of offshore wind power projects. Such foundations are subjected to a myriad of complex environmental loads during their operational lifespan. Whilst current research predominantly concentrates on the effects of wind, wave, and current loads on monopile stability in extreme environments, it is imperative to consider the potential influence of unexpected submarine landslide loads. In this study, we provide a comprehensive overview of wind, wave, current, and submarine landslide loads on monopile foundations in extreme environments. Subsequently, we establish a finite element model for analyzing the stability of monopiles under complex lateral loads, and validate the accuracy of the model by comparing it with the previous numerical findings. A case study is performed with reference to the Xiangshui Wind Farm project to analyze the effects of varying submarine landslide densities, velocities, impact heights, and seabed sediment strengths on pile head horizontal displacement, pile rotation at the mudline, and maximum bending moment. The findings indicate that the increase in submarine landslide density, velocity, and impact height leads to an increase in horizontal displacement at the pile head, pile rotation at the mudline, and maximum bending moments, and a horizontal failure mode is observed in seabed sediments. Furthermore, under the same load conditions, a decrease in seabed sediment strength and internal friction angle triggers instability in monopiles, with a noteworthy transition from horizontal failure to deep-seated seabed sediment failure. Finally, we propose a criterion for monopile instability under diverse loading conditions.

The blue treasure of hydrogen energy: A research of offshore wind power industry policy in China

The Chinese government has strongly acknowledged the strategic significance of offshore wind power in hydrogen production and has introduced many relevant policies for promoting the offshore wind power industry development. This study explains the evolution of policies regarding Chinese offshore wind power industry since 1995, with evolutionary characteristics such as emphasis on government role change, focus on problem orientation, prioritizing industrial upgrading, and close link to national energy strategy. However, there are still challenges in the formulation and implementation of policies, including the lack of scientific industrial construction planning, insufficient incentives for technological innovation, imperfect support for industrial integration, and inadequate environmental regulation. Moreover, this study also proposes prospects for the improvement and implementation of offshore wind power industry policies in China. The results of the study are intended to provide insights for decision makers in the clean energy industry and a useful reference for future hydrogen energy development.

Suppression of Negative Sequence Current on HVDC Modular Multilevel Converters in Offshore Wind Power

The High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission technology employing modular multilevel converters (MMCs) can effectively enhance the transmission efficiency and stability of offshore wind farms, thereby aiding the promotion of large−scale utilization of new energy. This holds significant importance for achieving the dual carbon goals. Aiming at the problem of negative sequence current circulation in MMC−HVDC transmission systems, a circulation suppression strategy based on augmented order decoupling linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) is proposed in this paper. By introducing new state variables into the traditional ADRC structure, the actual output deviation signal and observation gain signal from the disturbance observation value of the system are used. It can not only realize the decoupling control of disturbance and tracking terms but also enhance the disturbance immunity, robustness and rapidity of the controller. Finally, an 18−level MMC system model is built based on Matlab (9.12.0.1884302 (R2022a)) & Simulink (R2022a), and the circulation suppression effects of stable operation and voltage sudden change are simulated and compared, which verifies the suppression effect of the improved control strategy on negative sequence current circulation, which lays a theoretical and application foundation for the sustainable development of the offshore wind power industry.

Research on Collaborative Evaluation of Offshore Wind Power Value Chain in Guangxi-Based on BWM-FVIKOR Model

With the dynamic development of the offshore wind power industry and the global value chain, the traditional wind power industry is gradually turning to the offshore wind power value chain system that focuses on the value effect of the value chain, and it is of great significance to carry out value chain collaborative evaluation research. This paper puts forward the evaluation index system of Guangxi offshore wind power value chain from the comprehensive system dimension, key node dimension, subject contribution dimension and resource endowment dimension, builds the BWM-FVIKOR evaluation model, and proves the validity of the evaluation index and the feasibility of the evaluation model through example analysis, and this paper provides scientific and effective decision-making basis for the coordination of Guangxi offshore wind power value chain.

Experimental and numerical investigation on the impact of MS2AF on local scour protection performance

Suction anchor foundations are widely used in the offshore wind power industry. The installation of suction caissons alters the near-bed flow field and leads to local scour. This study proposes a novel integrated design for the scour protection of suction anchor foundations, known as the multihole sector suction anchor foundation (MS2AF). Through indoor flume experiments and numerical flume simulations, the local scour protection performances of MS2AFs with different design parameters under the action of steady flow were investigated. The results showed that the scour evolution of MS2AFs can be divided into three stages: slow scour, rapid scour, and scour equilibrium. The MS2AF reduced the flow shear stress on the sediment bed, thereby decreasing the depth and range of the local scour. The maximum scour depth, width, and length of the scour hole exhibited negative linear relationships with the width and thickness of the sector and decreasing-then-increasing relationships with the diameter and area ratio of the holes. Among these factors, the sector's thickness had the most significant impact. There existed an optimal diameter and area ratio that maximized the stratification effect and deceleration effect of the multihole sector.

Using Patent Data to Evaluate the Knowledge Dissemination of the Offshore Wind Power Industry

Many countries use the offshore wind power technology as renewable energy for sustainable development. In this study, we will focus on the knowledge dissemination of the offshore wind power technology. Not every country has the ability to develop their own offshore wind power technologies. The knowledge dissemination on sustainable technology could bridge the technology gap among the developer and promote the development of sustainable clean energy technology. Some objective evaluation indicators of knowledge dissemination will be carried out in this research and help to find appropriate companies to assist the local industry on offshore wind power industry. The public patent information is used to build a model to bring evaluation indicators about knowledge dissemination. These evaluation indicators include the revealed symmetric technological advantage index (RSTA), the knowledge density index ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">D_c,m,t</i> ), and the relatedness knowledge base index ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">R_c,r,t</i> ). For RSTA, <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">D</i> and <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">R</i> indicators, Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Vestas Wind Systems, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, and Aloys Wobben have higher values, which can be evaluated to have the higher degree of knowledge dissemination in the field of offshore wind power technology. Unlike previous studies that only using patent bibliographic data alone, employ evaluation indicators can extract more information about the knowledge dissemination. This study presents a promising method to evaluate the degree of knowledge dissemination in offshore wind power technology by using patent data.

Development of a Korean offshore wind power HSE risk assessment module based on systems engineering approach

This study provides an in-depth comparison of various risk assessment models widely used in modern industry and proposes the most suitable models for offshore wind power risk assessment, focusing on the characteristics and requirements of the offshore wind power industry. The selection of the assessment models is based on various factors, such as the purpose of risk assessment, the stakeholder requirements, and the characteristics of offshore wind power. This study emphasizes the importance of using a combination of different risk assessment models in situations of high uncertainty. Using model-based systems engineering, risk assessment module is designed and implemented with traceability from requirements to detailed functionality. The risk assessment module supports organic conversion between risk assessment models to assess the risks of offshore wind power generation. The functionality and usability of the offshore wind risk assessment module were verified through the evaluation and the field test.

Offshore Wind Power Policy in The U.S. And China: Comparison And Analysis

This paper compares and analyzes different offshore wind power policies between two countries, follows the timeline for the development phase, and explores deep reasons for framework differences in three aspects (Policy Environment, Financial Incentives, and Permit Processes). The key findings are that policy is the primary driver to boost offshore wind energy. A stable policy environment with long-term goals could revise developments from experience, support SOEs to raise capital and develop experiments for provincial and local governments and increase international collaborations. Differentiating FITs payments contribute to renewable electricity generation, promote technology price decreases, and ensure market certainty. Streamlined permitting accelerates speed construction and creates an energy innovation system with multiple brands and technologies. In the end, suggestions are given separately to help China and US further develop the offshore wind power industry.

Offshore Wind Power Transmission Decision-making Based on Grey Correlation and Topsis

With the profound transformation of the global energy structure, the development and utilization of wind energy have become the focus of global attention. The offshore wind power industry has ushered in a historic development opportunity and China’s offshore wind power industry has entered the fast track of development. However, due to the variety of transmission schemes available for offshore wind power, there are many differences in the economy, reliability, environment, risk, and other aspects of different transmission schemes, so it is difficult to make the optimal decision. To comprehensively compare the advantages and disadvantages of different transmission schemes in actual scenarios, this paper first identifies their influencing factors to obtain an evaluation index system and uses the entropy weight method to determine the index weight based on the index evaluation data of typical offshore wind power transmission projects at home and abroad, and the grey correlation method and TOPSIS method are integrated to build a comprehensive evaluation model suitable for offshore power transmission. Finally, the scientific and rigorous nature of the research method and model is verified by example analysis. The optimal decision comprehensive evaluation model constructed in this paper can realize scientific and comprehensive evaluation of offshore wind power transmission schemes and has important decision-making significance for the selection of transmission schemes in different scenarios.

Understanding Taiwan’s offshore wind industry

Understanding taiwan’s offshore wind industry Here, Open Access Government speaks to Gwo-shyh Song, Chairman of MMA Global Aqua, and explores the challenges, successes and long term plans for the offshore wind power projects in Taiwan. Can you provide an overview of the current state of the offshore wind industry in Taiwan and its significance in the country’s energy transformation? Taiwan had no experience in offshore wind power development in the past. The offshore wind power industry includes wind farm developers, who conduct environmental assessments of wind farms, as well as wind turbine system suppliers, marine engineering companies, cable manufacturers, and wind farm operators. Therefore, the Ministry of Economic Affairs allows 100% foreign ownership to attract foreign investment and gradually increases domestic demand to cultivate local related companies in order to achieve the goal of offshore wind power localization.

Load-bearing characteristics of concrete-filled steel tubular combined piles (CFSTCPs) in sand-rock composite ground

Novel concrete-filled steel tubular combined piles (CFSTCPs) have been widely used in offshore wind power projects in Fujian, China. The bearing capacity of their foundations has become a particular concern in the offshore wind power industry. However, experiments to understand the bearing performance of CFSTCPs in sand-rock composite ground remain few. In this study, a series of model experiments were conducted to investigate the load-bearing characteristics of CFSTCPs in sand-rock composite ground, and evaluate the effects of the rock-socketed length and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of the bedrock. Moreover, the accuracy and regularity of the test results were verified through numerical testing. The results showed that the load-settlement curve of the CFSTCP exhibited the failure pattern of “continuous and gradual, without obvious inflection point.” When the ultimate load was reached, interface sliding occurred between the steel pipe and sand. The pile tip penetrated the bedrock, resulting in penetration failure. The dimensionless relationship between the bearing ratio of the pile-tip resistance, rock-socketed length, and bedrock UCS was obtained to determine the critical rock-socketed length. Finally, an empirical method for calculating the ultimate bearing capacity of CFSTCPs was proposed. These findings promote the design of CFSTCPs for offshore wind turbine foundations.

Interference effects on the upstream wave generated by the catamaran moving across a depth change

With the development of the offshore wind power industry, there is an urgent need to improve the energy efficiency of the operation and maintenance(O&M) catamaran. When the catamaran accesses the offshore wind farm, the vessel could sail on an uneven bottom. Based on our previous study, the effect of the step bottom on the wave-making resistance and upstream wave had been quantified. However, wave interference plays a major role in the hydrodynamic characteristics of the catamaran hull, thus we extended our programme to calculate the hydrodynamic performance of the demi-hulls at the variable water depth. An upstream tsunami could be initiated by the hydrodynamic interaction between the catamaran and the uneven bottom shown from the simulation results, there is an abrupt change in the unsteady hydrodynamic forces as well. The oscillating amplitude and period of the unsteady forces acting on the catamaran are highly dependent on the separation distance between the demi-hulls and speed. The maximum amplitude of the upstream wave and hydrodynamic forces forecast are implemented after the main dimension parameters of the catamaran are determined in the preliminary design. The present simulation programme can supply the reference for the design evaluation of the O&M catamaran in the future.

Simulation and calculation of maximum transmission power for offshore wind plants accounting for the Electro-Magnetic transient process

The offshore wind power industry is witnessing a shift towards larger scale and longer offshore distances, pushing the transmission capacity and transmission distance of submarine cables to their maximum limits. Consequently, it is essential to evaluate the maximum transmission limit of offshore wind power. At the same time, the larger scale of the wind farm will make the Electro-Magnetic transient (EMT) processes have a greater impact on the system stability. To address these issues, this paper firstly established a wind generator (WG) model through a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) model with averaging parameters, as well as a cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) submarine cable model to construct an offshore wind power system via AC transmission. Subsequently, a continuous EMT simulation method is proposed to calculate the maximum transmission capacity and transmission distance limit. Real-time transient simulations were conducted to check the transient stability constraints during the calculation process. Finally, through several case studies on different types of cables, the simulation and calculation results are presented to provide useful references for engineering applications.

Risk assessment and management in the offshore wind power industry: A focus on component handling operations in ports

The global shift towards energy transition has spurred significant interest in offshore wind power generation. This has resulted in a heightened demand for handling offshore wind power components in ports. However, these components pose challenges due to their large-scale, non-standard, and vulnerable characteristics, necessitating meticulous pre-planning and complex interface synchronization operations. Therefore, effective safety management and comprehensive risk management plans are crucial to prevent accidents.Given the limited literature on the risks associated with offshore wind power component handling in ports, this study provides a risk analysis framework and valuable insights for risk assessment and management in the industry. The study is based on the HOLES model and employs a mixed-methods design that includes in-depth interviews, on-site observations, and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. The proposed risk analysis framework serves as a checklist to enhance safety in the handling operations. The critical risk factors identified in the study are primarily attributed to the dimensions of “organization”, “liveware”, and “operating procedures”, with the impact of COVID-19 on the operational environment considered as a short-term factor. These critical risk factors provide guidance to operators and stakeholders in resource allocation, risk mitigation, and the development of effective management strategies. As the empirical data was collected from Taiwan, this contribution is particularly valuable for emerging offshore wind markets facing similar challenges. The study addresses a knowledge gap and establishes a foundation for future research and advancements in the field.

The Influence of the Shaft on the Uplift Capacity of Single-Plate Helical Pile in Clay

Helical piles with small sizes are widely used in traditional civil engineering infrastructure application, especially in onshore electrical power industry. The floating offshore wind power industry has taken an interest in helical piles because of their rapid installation and ability to support immediate loading. Compared with onshore structures, wind power structures suffer larger external load and it becomes necessary to increase the overall size of helical piles, leading to considerable load capacity provided by the shaft, which is typically neglected for a light structure. In this paper, the undrained uplift capacity of helical piles was studied using finite-element limit analysis. The analysis explored various diameter ratios of the shaft to the plate and embedment depths, as well as different interface conditions. The local bearing capacity on the plate was also explored for attached and vented interface conditions. The failure mechanisms of a helical pile were presented to explain the mutual influence between plate anchor and shaft on the uplift capacity. Algebraic expressions for the uplift capacity of a helical pile were proposed. Engineers may use these expressions to improve the accuracy of their estimates for the uplift capacity of helical piles.

Inter-farm cluster interaction of the operational and planned offshore wind power base

The inter-farm cluster interaction is one of the most difficult aspects of building and planning ten million-kilowatt offshore wind power bases. This study is an attempt to assess the wake and production interactions in the substantial offshore wind farms in Jiangsu Province of China under operational (2020) and planned (2025) scenarios using the updated Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with the 3D Price-Weller-Pinkel ocean model and the wind farm parameterization model. The results indicate a larger wind deficit of −0.73 ∼ −1.30 m/s in the planned levels of 2025 than that of −0.52 m/s in 2020, with the wake meandering enlarged from 30 km to 90–100 km. Moreover, the newly added power capacity path in the future wind farm development has an impact on power production. The capacity factor of the wind power base will decrease if the average number of turbines in a wind farm is increased or the turbine capacity is increased. It is interesting to note that the planned development mode of positive turbine capacity with conservative farm capacity has relatively low inter-farm cluster wake interference and can be recommended as a priority path for the offshore wind power industry to achieve carbon neutrality and cleaner production.

Research on Slot-pole Combination in High-power Direct-drive PM Vernier Generator for Fractional Frequency Transmission System

Offshore wind energy is an important part of clean energy, and the adoption of wind energy to generate electricity will contribute to the implementation of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. The combination of the fractional frequency transmission system (FFTS) and the direct-drive wind turbine generator will be beneficial to the development of the offshore wind power industry. The use of fractional frequency in FFTS is beneficial to the transmission of electrical energy, but it will also lead to an increase in the volume and weight of the generator, which is unfavorable for wind power generation. Improving the torque density of the generator can effectively reduce the volume of the generators. The vernier permanent magnet machine (VPM) operates on the magnetic flux modulation principle and has the merits of high torque density. In the field of electric machines, the vernier machine based on the principle of magnetic flux modulation has been proved its feasibility to reduce the volume and weight. However, in the field of low-speed direct-drive machines for high-power fractional frequency power generation, there are still few related researches. Therefore, this paper studies the application of magnetic flux modulation in fractional frequency and high-power direct-drive wind turbine generators, mainly analyzes the influence of different pole ratios and different pole pairs on the generator, and draws some conclusions to provide reference for the design of wind turbine generators.

Dynamics of offshore wind turbine-seabed foundation under hydrodynamic and aerodynamic loads: A coupled numerical way

The offshore wind power industry has significantly contributed to the production of green energy in China and Europe etc. and made significant contributions to the reduction of carbon emissions. However, the extreme wave and wind loads in typhoon weather bring a great threat to the stability of offshore wind turbines (OWT). It is crucial to understand the dynamic characteristics of OWT and develop reliable methods of stability evaluation to guarantee the stability of OWT. In this study, taking the software FssiCAS as the computational platform, and taking the open-source solver OlaFlow to determine the wave impact on OWT and its seabed foundation, as well as the fluctuating wind theory is applied to estimate the wind load on the turbine blades and tower cylinder, the dynamic characteristics and stability of a monopile OWT with a capacity of 1500 kW in typhoon weather are investigated adopting a coupled way for the first time worldwide. The influence of the complex geometric shape and mass distribution of OWT is considered, and the generalized elastoplastic constitutive model, Pastor-Zienkiewicz-Mark III, is used to describe the complex dynamic behavior of the seabed foundation. The computational results show that the seabed soil within 4–5 m below the seafloor surface becomes liquefied under extreme wind and wave loads, resulting in the horizontal bearing capacity of the seabed foundation being weakened. As a result, the tower cylinder of OWT tilts aside by 0.5°, which exceeds the limit specified in some design codes. Through comparative analysis, it is found that the wind load contributes up to 50% to the lateral displacement of the OWT, and the maximum bending moment in the tower cylinder. It is indicated that wind loads can significantly affect the stability of OWTs. Additionally, this study proves that the software FssiCAS is applicable to evaluate the dynamics and the stability of OWTs under a complex marine dynamic environment. FssiCAS could hopefully become a computational platform for the design of OWTs.