DESIGN OF OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES

Armand Georgescu
EMSHIP MSc, 29 September 2014
Contact
Eng. Armand GEORGESCU
(armand.georgescu@ulg.ac.be)
B52 +1/514
ANAST
Naval Architecture
Transportation Systems Analysis
Offshore Wind Turbines




Introduction
Wave Loadings




Wave Loads
Wave and Currents:

Ships and offshore structures are exposed to waves which impose pressures and
forces on the structural systems. The total sum of all forces caused by the waves
give the global wave loads. These global wave loads
form a basis for the design of offshore structures.
This can be in terms of ultimate strength for survival
conditions, design loads for normal operations or
long term distributions with respect to fatigue.

Wave Loads
Ocean waves


The main driver behind sea waves is the wind.
Only absolute absence of wind may
result in a mirror-like sea surface, every slightest
gust of wind will cause ripples, up to
waves as large as houses. When examining the
sea surface, numerous waves can be
seen, travelling in, seemingly, every possible
direction. To catch this random process,
some models have been developed over the
years.
Wave Loads
Ocean waves


If we reduce the surface of an area of sea to a single point, measuring the
surface elevation in time as it runs through this point, the random sea will result in
the following time variance. The time varying signal can be transformed into an
energy density spectrum. This spectrum is also referred as a wave spectrum.
Wave Loads
Ocean waves

Ocean waves are irregular and random in shape, height, length and speed of
propagation. A real sea state is best described by a random wave model.
A linear random model is the sum of many small linear wave components with
different amplitude, frequency and direction.
Wave conditions which are to be considered for structural design purposes,
may be described either by deterministic design wave methods or by stochastic
methods applying wave spectra.
For quasi-static response of structures, it is sufficient to use deterministic regular
waves characterized by wave length and corresponding wave period, wave
height and crest height.
Wave Loads
Ocean waves
Wave Loads
Ocean waves

sin (

2 +

)
-regular signal

3
=1
sin (

2 +

)
-combined signal

Elevation at time t (m)

Wave amplitude (m)

Wave frequency (Hz)

Wave phase angle (rad)

Wave Loads
General characteristics of waves


Wave Loads
General characteristics of waves
Wave length
The wave length is the distance between succesive
crests
Wave period
The wave period T is the time interval between succesive
crests passing
Phase velocity The propagation velocity of the wave form c=/T
Wave frequency The inverse of the wave period f=1/T
Wave angular
frequency =2/T
Wave number k=2/
Wave height The vertical distance from trough to crest
Surface elevation , , =

2
cos

+ ;

Wave angular frequency
2
=

tanh (

)

Wave Loads
Hydrodynamic Forces
The hydrodynamic force exerted on a slender structure in a general fluid flow can be
estimated by summing up sectional forces acting on each strip of the structure.
For structural members having cross-
sectional dimensions sufficiently small to
allow the gradients of fluid particle
velocities and accelerations in the direction
normal to the member to be neglected,
wave loads may be calculated using the
Morison load formula.

The Morrison formula is applicable when
the following condition is met:
>5D
Wave Loads
Hydrodynamic Forces
The Morrison equation is an empirical formula to calculate the hydrodynamic loads on
slender members per unit length.

= +

, , =

1
2

, , (, , )

, , =

2
4
(, , )
Cd drag coefficient
Cm inertia coefficient
u water particle velocity
water particle acceleration
D diameter of cylinder section
Wave Loads
Hydrodynamic Forces
The coefficients

and

are determined by the specific load case under consideration

(extreme or fatigue), the shape of the structure, the presence of marine growth, and other
factors. Typical values are 0.7 for

and 2.0 for

The horizontal water particle kinematics are described hereafter, with the z-axis pointing
upwards from the free water surface (-d < z < 0) and position x horizontally in the wave
direction.
, , = 2

( +)

cos (

2)

, , = 2
2

( + )

2

Where: is the wave amplitude (0.5H);

is the wave number (2/

); d is the
water depth and

is the wave length

Wave Loads
Hydrodynamic Forces
The surface elevation of the wave is given by:

, , =

2
cos

+ ;

The wave angular frequency is given by:

2
=

tanh (

)

Wave Loads
Wheeler stretching:

Because linear wave theory is only valid up to the still water level, it does not describe the
kinematics in the wave top. A common method to correct this the Wheeler stretching
method. The wave kinematics profile over the water depth is determined for every time
step. This profile is then stretched to the instantaneous wave surface elevation.

1 +
1