ABSTRACT:

The focus of this article is a complete analysis of a fixed bottom offshore wind turbine tripod type for both operating and extreme conditions. Time histories of the rotor load and the resulting forces at various levels of the structure are presented. The percentages of the rotor load contribution to the stresses of the structure components during power production are investigated and shown. The percentages of the structure components' stress for Operating conditions in comparison with these for Extreme conditions reveal the regions where the loadings of the power production state dominate and, thus, determine the design.

INTRODUCTION

On a planet under severe environmental crisis, the limitless exploitation of the limited, and expensive nowadays, underground fossil fuel is not a way of covering humanity's vast and fast growing needs for energy. A very promising alternative to the Nations for security, independency and economy comes from the wind. After the wind energy industry increased its experience and capacities, and gained people's and governments' trust, the efforts for optimization of the productivity and elimination of the drawbacks of the wind parks led to the sea. Above the sea area, the wind has higher velocity due to smaller wind shear. An Offshore Wind Turbine (OWT) can have larger size, because it is away from the society and does not have any visual impact or noise effect. An offshore wind park can include a very big number of turbines due to reduced restrictions of property issues. For these reasons, the potential for the construction of offshore wind parks is growing every year. According to EWEA, in the first six months of 2010, 118 offshore wind turbines were fully grid connected producing a total of 333 MW. Overall 16 offshore wind farms with total capacity of 3,972 MW were under construction.

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