Fatigue life assessment of three offshore wind turbines

Wout Weijtjens, Nymfa Noppe, Alexandros Iliopoulos, Tim Verbelen, Christof Devriendt

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference paper

Abstract

Fatigue life is a design driver for the foundations of offshore wind turbines. Monitoring the consumption
of fatigue life is thus an essential part in a full-scope structural health monitoring strategy for offshore
wind turbines.
This contribution will feature the structural health monitoring data from three offshore turbines in the Belgian
North Sea. All three turbines are instrumented with strain gauges and accelerometers. In a first step these strain
measurements will be translated into classic fatigue life indicators, e.g. through rain-flow counting.
Earlier research on the instrumented wind turbines showed that dynamics vary strongly over the different environmental
and operational conditions (EOC). E.g. resonance frequencies do shift due to the tidal effect and
changes in the rotor geometry. It therefore is very likely that fatigue life consumption has similar dependencies
on the the EOC.
In addition our interests lie with this interaction between environmental, operational conditions and the fatigue
life consumption. For instance we will analyze how different EOCs, changes in the wind direction and structural
properties such as the tower resonance frequencies affect fatigue life and thus ultimately structural integrity over
its lifetime.
An additional challenge for wind turbines are severe dynamic events, e.g. emergency stops, boat landings or
slamming waves, all of which can almost instantaneously cost a significant amount of fatigue life.
The proposed research will show a methodology to assess how fatigue life progresses in offshore foundations
and will be part of a full scope structural health monitoring for offshore foundations.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLife-Cycle of Engineering Systems: Emphasis on Sustainable Civil Infrastructure
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings of IALCCE 2016
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Pages742-747
ISBN (Print)978-1-138-02847-0
Publication statusPublished - 2016
EventFifth International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering - Technische universiteit Delft, Delft, Netherlands
Duration: 16 Oct 201619 Oct 2016
http://www.ialcce2016.org/

Publication series

NamePROCEEDINGS AND MONOGRAPHS IN ENGINEERING, WATER AND EARTH SCIENCES
PublisherCRC PRESS / BALKEMA

Conference

ConferenceFifth International Symposium on Life-Cycle Civil Engineering
Abbreviated titleIALCCE2016
Country/TerritoryNetherlands
CityDelft
Period16/10/1619/10/16
Internet address

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