Monopile Forever: Overcoming the Technical Boundaries of Monopile Foundations in Deep Waters

Since the introduction of the first offshore wind farm in 1991, the demand for offshore renewable wind energy has experienced exponential growth all around the world. To supply this demand, the power rating and corresponding dimensions of offshore wind turbines have grown significantly. Due to the ever-shrinking availability of easily accessible...

Numerical validation of experimental modal analysis of a Slip-joint connection in offshore wind turbine

To fulfil the increase in global demand of clean energy, the dimensions of offshore wind turbines are expected to increase with greater capacities and move further offshore in deep waters. For these conditions, the diameter of the monopile will have to increase beyond current manufacturing capacities. The slip joint connection can provide a...

Magnetic Stray Field Analysis to Detect Plastic Deformation in Steel Cylinders: Experimental Research into Magnetomechanical Effect Under Impact Loading

Pile driving can cause plastic deformation to the head of the driven pile, which in turn can lead to connectivity issues when the superstructure is installed. Moreover, plastic deformation reduces the estimated service life of the structure. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the strain levels during the installation in order to detect if the...

Dynamic Analysis of a Monopile Offshore Wind Support Structure Subjected to Earthquakes: A Comparative Study Between the Responses of an Elastic and an Inelastic Soil-Structure Interaction Model Through Incremental Dynamic Analysis

This thesis project has set out to investigate the response in fore-aft direction of a monopile wind foundation supporting an NREL 5MW turbine, offshore the coast of Taiwan, which is affected by weak to strong earthquake ground motion in combination with normal sea state conditions. The soil at the location of the monopile is layered, with sand...

Large Floating Monopiles: Installation in Heavy Weather Conditions

The offshore wind market experiences large growth over the last decade. There is a clear trend to installation in deeper waters and to larger wind turbines, to maximize the energy output. The majority of offshore windmills use a monopile foundation, which due to the current trends are getting larger. Seaway Heavy Lifting (SHL) is a company that...

Analysis of Shell Deformations of Offshore Wind Turbine Monopile Foundations

A significant reduction in the levelized cost of electricity is necessary for offshore wind farms to become a competitive energy source. Amongst other methods, overall project cost reduction can be achieved by optimized support structure design. An upcoming trend is the use of `XL monopiles', which provide a cost effective foundation solution...