Session: Structural Modeling & Analysis II
Paper Number: 98707
98707 - Conceptual Monopile Design Near Ma/ri Lease Areas Using the Iea 15 Mw Reference Wind Turbine
The offshore wind industry in the US is poised for significant growth in the next decade, but it also rests at the intersection of two key trends in the global offshore wind industry: larger turbines and deeper waters. If current trends continue, the wind farms built off the US east coast between 2020-2030 will likely be built using very large monopile foundations pushing the same boundaries for monopile size and water depths seen in Europe. This means US designs will not simply be adapting current technology; they will also be at the cutting edge. In addition to being at the cutting edge of monopile design, there are many key questions that still need to be addressed in the US such as: installation vessels, port infrastructure, economic development, and environmental impacts. These additional questions exist because the supply chain and marine industries off the US east coast are much less developed than those in Europe. However, there is one key component missing from these discussions, a viable monopile design that is publicly available and could be used as a starting reference for other projects. While the IEA 15 MW reference wind turbine is critically important to the research community, the reference monopile released alongside the turbine has D/t ratios over 200 when the typical rule to avoid buckling is around 120. Looking beyond the IEA 15 MW reference there is some general information in the construction and operation plans for US wind farms but not enough detail for proper structural analysis. From a structural perspective, there are no US reference monopiles for a 15 MW wind turbine that can be used as starting points with reasonable diameter and thickness values. This poses a challenge to any researcher that would want to examine questions related to monopiles such as hammer requirements for installation, transportation loadings on piles traveling between ports, or any detailed design work such as perforations. We have used three approaches to fill this gap. First, a review of existing structures and literature provide a general envelope for what monopile properties would be expected. Second, a framework is provided with a series of design decisions and variables that can be adjusted to alter a reference monopile. Finally, a reference monopile designed using the proposed framework. The purpose of this work is to start a conversation that will improve on the reference monopile and identify key areas where additional work needs to be done. The work can be a benefit to future researchers who may need a reference monopile to start with in their analysis but are not focused on the entire design process. Identification of areas for future work are a key component of this project.
Presenting Author: John DeFrancisci Tufts University
Conceptual Monopile Design Near Ma/ri Lease Areas Using the Iea 15 Mw Reference Wind Turbine
Paper Type
Technical Presentation Only