• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to evaluate various means of wind power turbines installation in the Korean west-south wind farm (Test bed 100 MW, Demonstrate site 400 MW). We presented the marine environment of the southwest offshore wind farm in order to decide the appropriate installation vessel to be used in this site. The various vessels would be WTIV (Wind turbine installation vessel), jack-up barge, or floating crane ${\cdots}$ etc. We analyzed the installation cost of offshore wind turbine and the transportation duration for each vessel. The analysis results showed the most suitable installation means for offshore wind turbine in the Korean west-south wind farm.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.382-392
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• 2021

In recent years, floating offshore wind turbines have attracted more attention as a new renewable energy resource while bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines reach their limit of water depth. Various projects have been proposed with the rapid increase in installed floating wind power capacity, but the economic aspect remains as a biggest issue. To figure out sensible approaches for saving costs, a comparison analysis of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) between floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines was carried out. The LCOE was reviewed from a social perspective and a cost breakdown and a literature review analysis were used to itemize the costs into its various components in each level of power plant and system integration. The results show that the highest proportion in capital expenditure of a floating offshore wind turbine results in the substructure part, which is the main difference from a bottom-fixed wind turbine. A floating offshore wind turbine was found to have several advantages over a bottom-fixed wind turbine. Although a similarity in operation and maintenance cost structure is revealed, a floating wind turbine still has the benefit of being able to be maintained at a seaport. After emphasizing the cost-reduction advantages of a floating wind turbine, its LCOE outlook is provided to give a brief overview in the following years. Finally, some estimated cost drivers, such as economics of scale, wind turbine rating, a floater with mooring system, and grid connection cost, are outlined as proposals for floating wind LCOE reduction.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.980-992
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• 2019

This paper describes a model test and numerical simulation of a 750-kW-semi-submersible platform wind turbine under several wind and wave conditions for validation of the numerical simulation model. The semi-submersible platform was designed to support the 750-kW-wind turbine class and operate at a water depth of 50 m. The model tests were performed to estimate the performance characteristics of the wind turbine system in the wide tank of the University of Ulsan. Motions and loads of the wind turbine system under the wind and wave conditions were measured and analyzed. The NREL-FAST code was used to simulate the wind turbine system, and the results were compared with those of the test model. The results demonstrate that the numerical simulation captures noticeably the fully coupled floating wind turbine dynamic responses. Also, the model shows a good stability and small responses during waves, wind, and operation of the 750-kW-floating offshore wind turbine.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2014

A new 5-MW floating offshore wind turbine moored by a spring-tensioned-leg was proposed for installation in about 50m water depth. Its substructure is a platform of the inverted conical cylinder type with massive ballast weight plate at the bottom. A 1:128 scale model was built for the preliminary engineering development. The model tests in waves and wind were carried out to estimate motion characteristics of this platform in the Ocean Engineering Wide Tank of the University of Ulsan. Its motions were measured and the RAOs were compared. The proposed floating offshore wind turbine showed a good stability and decent responses in waves, wind and operation of the wind turbine.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.347-359
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• 2021

This study aims to evaluate the dynamic responses of the jacket-type offshore wind turbine using FAST software (Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence). A systematic series of simulation cases of a 5 MW jacket-type offshore wind turbine, including wind-only, wave-only, wind & wave load cases are conducted. The dynamic responses of the wind turbine structure are obtained, including the structure displacement, rotor speed, thrust force, nacelle acceleration, bending moment at the tower bottom, and shear force on the jacket leg. The calculated time-domain results are transformed to frequency domain results using FFT and the environmental load with more impact on each dynamic response is identified. It is confirmed that the dynamic displacements of the wind turbine are dominant in the wave frequency under the incident wave alone condition, and the rotor thrust, nacelle acceleration, and bending moment at the bottom of the tower exhibit high responses in the natural frequency band of the wind turbine. In the wind only condition, all responses except the vertical displacement of the wind turbine are dominant at three times the rotor rotation frequency (considering the number of blades) generated by the wind. In a combined external force with wind and waves, it was observed that the horizontal displacement is dominant by the wind load. Additionally, the bending moment on the tower base is highly affected by the wind. The shear force of the jacket leg is basically influenced by the wave loads, but it can be affected by both the wind and wave loads especially under the turbulent wind and irregular wave conditions.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.202-207
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• 2018

This paper presents the efficiency of a floating vertical axis wind turbine with variable-pitch. A model was designed to use the lift force and drag force for blades with various pitch angles. The blade's pitch angle is controlled by the stopper. To validate the efficiency of the wind turbine discussed in this paper, a model test was carried out through a single model efficiency experiment and wave tank experiment. The parameters of the single model efficiency experiment were the wind speed, electronic load, and pitch angle. The wave tank experiment was performed using the most efficient pitch angle from the results of the single model efficiency experiment. According to the results of the wave tank experiment, the surge and pitch motion of a structure slightly affect the efficiency of a wind turbine, but the heave motion has a large effect because the heights of the wind turbine and wind generator are almost the same.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.221-236
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• 2017

In this study, the feasibility of vibration-based damage alarming algorithms are numerically evaluated for wind turbine tower structures which are subjected to harmonic force excitation. Firstly, the algorithm of vibration-based damage alarming for the wind turbine tower (WTT) is visited. The natural frequency change, modal assurance criterion (MAC) and frequency-response-ratio assurance criterion (FRRAC) are utilized to recognize changes in dynamic characteristics due to a structural damage. Secondly, a finite element model based on a real wind turbine tower is established in a structural analysis program, Midas FEA. The harmonic force is applied at the rotor level as presence of excitation. Several structural damage scenarios are numerically simulated in segmental joints of the wind turbine model. Finally, the natural frequency change, MAC and FRRAC algorithm are employed to identify the structural damage occurred in the finite element model. The results show that these criteria could be used as promising damage existence indicators for the damage alarming in wind turbine supporting structures.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.507-519
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• 2018

In this paper, damage assessment in wind-turbine towers using vibration-based artificial neural networks (ANNs) is numerically investigated. At first, a vibration-based ANNs algorithm is designed for damage detection in a wind turbine tower. The ANNs architecture consists of an input, an output, and hidden layers. Modal parameters of the wind turbine tower such as mode shapes and frequencies are utilized as the input and the output layer composes of element stiffness indices. Next, the finite element model of a real wind-turbine tower is established as the test structure. The natural frequencies and mode shapes of the test structure are computed under various damage cases of single and multiple damages to generate training patterns. Finally, the ANNs are trained using the generated training patterns and employed to detect damaged elements and severities in the test structure.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.559-579
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• 2015

An experimental study of the effect of mooring systems on the dynamics of a SPAR buoy-type floating offshore wind turbine is presented. The effects of the Center of Gravity (COG), mooring line spring constant, and fairlead location on the turbine's motion in response to regular waves are investigated. Experimental results show that for a typical mooring system of a SPAR buoy-type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (FOWT), the effect of mooring systems on the dynamics of the turbine can be considered negligible. However, the pitch decreases notably as the COG increases. The COG and spring constant of the mooring line have a negligible effect on the fairlead displacement. Numerical simulation and sensitivity analysis show that the wind turbine motion and its sensitivity to changes in the mooring system and COG are very large near resonant frequencies. The test results can be used to validate numerical simulation tools for FOWTs.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.221-243
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• 2015

This paper compares simplified and finite element method (FEM) models for tower and blade in dynamic coupled analysis of floating wind turbine. A SPAR type wind turbine with catenary mooring lines is considered in numerical analysis. Floating body equation is derived using boundary element method (BEM) and convolution. Equations for mooring line, tower and blade are formulated with theories of catenary, elastic beam and aerodynamic rotating beam, respectively and FEM is applied in the formulation. By combining the equations, coupled solutions are calculated. Tower or blade may be assumed rigid or lumped body for simplicity in modeling. By comparing floating body motions, mooring line tensions and tower stresses with the simple model and original FEM model, the effect of including or neglecting elastic, rotating and aerodynamic behavior of tower and blade is discussed.