Wave loads on fixed offshore wind

turbines
Johan Peeringa en Erik-Jan de Ridder
 Foundation types in 30 MW+ offshore wind farms
– 14 Monopiles
– 7 gravity bases
– 1 Tripod and
Jacket

List of offshore wind farms - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 Dowec 6MW
– Pitch regulated variable
speed
– Rated power 6MW
– Rotor diameter 129 m
– Hub height 91.4 m
– Monopile 6 m diameter

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Selected frequencies of the Dowec 6MW

[Hz] [rad/s]
Tower for aft 0.242 1.521
Blade flat wise 0.675 4.241
Blade edge wise 1.107 6.956
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Offshore wind turbine standards
Organisations Design situation IEC61400-3
– GL – Power production (+ fault)

– DNV – Start up

– IEC – Normal shut down

– Emergency shut down

– Parked (+ fault)

– Transport assembly
maintenance and repair

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Linear and nonlinear waves

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Wave models and wave loads
– Irregular linear
waves
– Nonlinear
deterministic
streamfunction wave
– Morison equation
D2 D
dF  CM  xdz  CD  x xdz
4 2

Source: www.noordzeewind.nl
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 Breaking waves

– Blyth
– Wienke

Source: Wienke 2001

Fwave_break  FD  FM  FI
Source: Jan v/d Tempel 2006

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Need for validation of wave load models on
offshore wind turbines
– Code to Code Comparison
– Lack of (public) full scale measurements
– Lack of model tests including hydroelasticity

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Introduction
– ComFlow
– Linear wave theory vs stream function and
ComFlow
– Effect relative fluid velocity due to tower
motions
– 1st model tests
– ..

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ComFlow

– Volume of fluid CFD code

– Used at MARIN for:
– Green water on deck
– Wave impacts
– Sloshing

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ComFlow: example

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Non linear wave forces using ComFlow

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12m 8s @ 30m waterdepth

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Influence of hydroelasticity

– Simple bending model

– Linear wave theory
– Morison loading, including
relative velocities due to
tower velocity

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ComFlow (CFD) does not (yet) include relative
fluid velocity due to tower motions

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Existing MARIN knowledge on segmented
models

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1st step by MARIN

– Model tests with a flexible model

– No detailed modelling of the proto type (DOWEC
6MW)
– The clamping flexibility of the foundation is partly
taken into account
– The 1st and 2nd natural frequencies are modelled, by
tuning the weight distribution over the height

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Full scale model

– DOWEC 6 MW turbine
– Tower 80 m
– Support 30 m
– Water depth 21 m

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 M1 M2
FE analyses of model
Tower

– FE package ANSYS
M3
E ,m ,I
– Analyses of model (scale 1:30) 1 1 1
– 11 beam & 6 mass elements
– Clamping flexibility included M4

M5 support
E ,m ,I
1 2 2
M6
EI
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Natural frequencies

Natural mode FE analyses Model testing

1st mode 0.26 Hz (1.4 Hz model) 0.59 Hz

2nd mode 1.77 Hz (9.7 Hz model) 2.23 Hz

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– Accelerations at
5 location
– Pressure
measurements
at five location
– Forces and
moments at the
bottom
– Wave height at
three locations
around the tower
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Model set-up in the basin

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Picture model tests of wave impact

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First results model tests

– Acceleration at the top of the tower

Wave:
Hs= 5 m
Tp= 12s

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First results model tests

– Acceleration at the top of the tower

Wave:
H= 14 m

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2nd possible (step)tests

– The results can be used to validate numerical

software:
– Which than can be used to optimise the control
system
– Optimised the turbine for specifiek locations
(waves point of view)

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4th step full scale measurements

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Joint research Marin - ECN

Joint research
– Advanced Wave modelling

– Wave model validation on scaled Wind Turbine

models
– Wave load cases as module for Aero-elastic codes
(Phatas and AnySim)

Timeline 2010 - 2011

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