AAU Student Projects - visit Aalborg University's student projects portal
A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Analyse af Støbt Samling i Monopæle Windmølle Fundamenter Udsat for Horisontal Lastoverførsel

Translated title

Analysis of Grouted Connection in Monopile Wind Turbine Foundations Subjected to Horizontal Load Transfer

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2009

Pages

77

Abstract

Offshore-vindmøller bliver stadig større og tungere, hvilket stiller nye krav til fundamenterne. Monopæle er en udbredt løsning til vanddybder op til 30 m og består af stålrør, der forbindes med højstyrke-grout (et cementbaseret fyldmateriale). Teknologien stammer fra olie- og gasplatforme og er primært designet til lodrette laster, mens vindmøller især påvirkes af vind- og bølgeinducerede vibrationer og væltende moment (tiltende kræfter). Retningslinjer fra Det Norske Veritas (DNV) giver parametriske formler for lodret lastoverførsel, men anbefaler, at horisontal lastoverførsel behandles numerisk og/eller eksperimentelt. Formålet i denne afhandling er at generalisere den strukturelle opførsel i den grouted forbindelse udsat for en statisk horisontal last, baseret på en specifik forbindelse brugt ved Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm, DK. Tilgangen er at udlede en omtrentlig analytisk løsning og verificere den med en tilsvarende numerisk løsning. Den analytiske del opstiller styrende feltligninger for groutens mekaniske respons ved at modellere forbindelsen som et 3D randværdiproblem. Ved at approximere forskydningsrandbetingelserne reduceres problemet til en forskydningsformulering. Selvom de statiske effekter er i fokus, vælges en elastodynamisk formulering (ligninger for bevægelse), hvilket giver et koblet problem, som afkobles ved at introducere potentialfunktioner. Indsættelse af disse giver to bølgeligninger, der først løses i 2D og derefter udvides til 3D. Til sidst anvendes de approksimerede randbetingelser for at bestemme forskydningsfeltet. Den opnåede løsning sammenlignes med en Finite Element Analysis (FEM-analyse) udført i ANSYS, og antagelserne sammenholdes med resultater fra en lignende, men mere avanceret, ekstern FEM. Arbejdet munder ud i et parametrisk computerprogram, der kan beregne tilnærmede forskydninger, tøjninger og spændinger hvor som helst i geometrien. Programmet viser rimelig overensstemmelse med FEM-resultaterne; fejl forekommer, men er acceptable i lyset af de anvendte randbetingelser. Desuden demonstreres, at en elastodynamisk formulering kan bruges til elastostatiske problemer, når den dynamiske forstyrrelse er tilstrækkeligt lille, hvilket modsiger Olsson (1984)s påstand.

Offshore wind turbines are becoming larger and heavier, which demands robust foundations. Monopile foundations are widely used up to 30 m water depth and consist of steel tubes joined with high-strength grout (a cement-based filler). This technology comes from oil and gas platforms and is mainly designed for vertical loads, whereas wind turbines are dominated by wind- and wave-induced vibrations and overturning moments (tilting forces). Design guidance from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) provides parametric formulas for vertical load transfer but advises that horizontal load transfer be examined numerically and/or experimentally. This thesis aims to generalize the structural behavior of the grouted connection under a static horizontal load, based on a specific connection used at Gunfleet Sands Offshore Wind Farm, DK. The approach is to derive an approximate analytical solution and verify it with a corresponding numerical solution. The analytical part formulates governing field equations for the grout’s mechanical response by modeling the connection as a 3D boundary value problem. By approximating displacement boundary conditions, the problem is reduced to a displacement formulation. Although static effects are of interest, an elastodynamic formulation (equations of motion) is chosen, leading to a coupled problem that is decoupled using potential functions. Substitution yields two wave equations, solved first in 2D and then extended to 3D. Finally, the approximate boundary conditions are applied to determine the displacement field. The obtained solution is compared with a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) performed in ANSYS, and the assumptions are contrasted with results from a similar but more advanced external FEA. The work produces a parametric computer program that estimates displacements, strains, and stresses at any point in the geometry. The program agrees reasonably with the FEA; errors exist but are acceptable given the approximated boundary conditions. Additionally, it is shown that an elastodynamic formulation can be applied to elastostatic problems when the dynamic disturbance is sufficiently small, contradicting Olsson (1984).

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]