• Journal of Wind Energy
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.16-23
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• 2018

A damage detection method for the tripod support structure of offshore wind turbines is presented for structural health monitoring. A finite element model of a prototype tripod support structure is established and the modal properties are calculated. The degree and location of the damage are estimated based on the neural network technique using the changes of natural frequencies and mode shape due to the damage. The stress distribution occurring in the support structure is obtained by a dynamic analysis for the wind turbine system to select the output data of the neural network. The natural frequencies and mode shapes for 36 possible damage scenarios were used for the input data of the learned neural network for damage assessment. The estimated damages agreed reasonably well with the accurate ones. The presented method could be effectively applied for damage detection and structural health monitoring of various types of support structures of offshore wind turbines.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2016

Reliability analysis of tripod support structure for offshore wind turbine was performed. Extreme distribution function of peak response due to wind and wave loads was estimated by applying peak over threshold(POT) method. Then, stress based limit state function was defined by using maximum stress of support structure which was obtained by multiplying beam stress and concentration factor. The reliability analysis result was compared when maximum stress was calculated from shell element. Reliability index was evaluated using first order reliability method(FORM).

• Wind and Structures
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.117-134
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• 2014

It is believed that offshore wind farms may satisfy an increasing portion of the energy demand in the next years. This paper presents a comparative study of the fatigue performances of tripod and jacket steel support structures for offshore wind turbines in waters of intermediate depth (20-50 m). A reference site at a water depth of 45 m in the North Atlantic Ocean is considered. The tripod and jacket support structures are conceived according to typical current design. The fatigue behavior is assessed in the time domain under combined stochastic wind and wave loading and the results are compared in terms of a lifetime damage equivalent load.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2018

The seismic response, the natural frequencies and the mode shapes of an offshore wind turbine with twisted tripod substructure subject to various pile-ground interactions are discussed in this paper. The acceleration responses of the tower head by four historical earthquakes are presented as the seismic response, while the other loads are assumed as ambient loads. For the pile-ground interactions, the fixed, linear and nonlinear models are employed to simulate the interactions and the p-y, t-z and Q-z curves are utilized for the linear and nonlinear models. The curves are designed for stiff, medium and soft clays, and thus, the seven types of the pile-ground interactions are used to compare the seismic response, the acceleration of the tower head. The mode shapes are similar to each other for all types of pile-ground interactions. The natural frequencies, however, are almost same for the three clay types of the linear model, while the natural frequency of the fixed support model is quite different from that of the linear interaction model. The wind turbine with the fixed support model has the biggest magnitude of acceleration. In addition, the nonlinear model is more sensitive to the stiffness of clay than the linear pile-ground interaction model.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2019

This paper presents a seismic reliability analysis method for an offshore wind turbine with a twisted tripod support structure under earthquake loading. A three dimensional dynamic finite element model is proposed to consider the nonlinearity of the ground-pile interactions and the geometrical characteristics of the twisted tripod support structure where out-of-plane displacement occurs even under in-plane lateral loadings. For the evaluation of seismic reliability, the failure probability was calculated for the maximum horizontal displacement of the pile head, which is calculated from time history analysis using artificial earthquakes for the design return periods. The application of the subset simulation method using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo(MCMC) sampling is proposed for efficient reliability analysis considering the limit state equation evaluation by the nonlinear time history analysis. The proposed method can be applied to the reliability evaluation and design criteria development of the offshore wind turbine with twisted tripod support structure in which two dimensional models and static analysis can not produce accurate results.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2022

The collision behaviors of the tripod and jacket structures, which are considered as support structures for offshore wind towers at the Southwest sea of Korea, were compared by nonlinear dynamic analysis. These structures, designed for the 3 MW capacity of the wind towers, were modeled using shell elements with nonlinear behaviors, and the tower structure including the nacelle, was modeled by beam and mass elements with elastic materials. The mass of the tripod structure was approximately 1.66 times that of the jacket structure. A barge and commercial ship were modeled as the collision vessel. To consider the tidal conditions in the region, the collision levels were varied from -3.5 m to 3.5 m of the mean sea level. In addition, the collision behaviors were evaluated as increasing the minimum collision energy at the collision speed (=2.6 m/s) of each vessel by four times, respectively. Accordingly, the plastic energy dissipation ratios of the vessel were increased as the stiffness of collision region. The deformations in the wind tower occurred from vibration to collapse of conditions. The tripod structure demonstrated more collision resistance than the jacket structure. This is considered to be due to the concentrated centralized rigidity and amount of steel utilized.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.804-809
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• 2001

Optimal design of a portable structure which supports impact loading is presented. The structure requires impact loading capability, stiffness and minimum weight for portability. A collapsible tripod structure with locking mechanism is suggested. Taguchi method has been used to identify the most important design variables and the initial design. Subsequent optimization yields additional weight reduction under stress and displacement constrains.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.1-12
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• 2023

This study evaluated the overturning stability of portable tripod ladders used for high-altitude work such as tree management and pruning work in landscaping construction and management. Portable tripod ladders, which are included in general mobile or portable ladders frequently used in industrial sites, are supported in a triangular support structure, not a 4-point support like common A-type Ladders. In addition, since the working height is more than twice that of a mobile or portable ladder, the possibility of an overturning accident that threatens the safety of workers with a fall accident is high. Therefore, based on the overturning stability test specified in ANSI-ASC A14.7 and EN 131-Part 7, which are related standards for about 130 types of portable tripod ladders sold and used in Korea. An equation to calculate each moment according to working height was derived. Then, each calculated moment was compared to evaluate the safety factor for overturning and stability. As a result of the overturning stability evaluation according to each standard, when the provisions of EN 131-Part 7 were applied, portable tripod ladders with 8 steps in the rear direction and 6 steps or more in the side direction were evaluated as unstable against overturning, but according to ANSI-ASC A14.7 regulations. It was evaluated that the stability against overturning was secured in all directions and number of steps.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.60-65
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• 2014

A meteorological(met) tower is the first structure installed during the planning stages of offshore wind farm. The purpose of this paper is to design the met tower with tripod bucket type support structure and to install the sensors. The support structure consist of a central steel shaft connected to three cylindrical steel suction buckets which is more cheaper than monopile or jacket type. And the remote wind condition sensors and marine monitoring equipment, including adcp, pressure type tide gauge, wave height sensors, and scour sensors, remote power supply are installed. The manufactured met tower constructed on sea area which is in front of Gasa island. All of functions of met tower showed normal operation conditions and the wind data got by remote data collection system successfully.

• Journal of Wind Energy
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.91-99
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• 2023

In research conducted on a southwestern Korean offshore meteorological tower, acceleration datasets were gathered over half a year with time-history sensors. To enhance data credibility, a parallel measurement system was used for verification. A model of the tower was configured using beam elements, and with modifications accounting for added stiffness from auxiliary structures. Ground interactions were considered as calibrated springs based on soil layer properties. The tower's dynamic attributes and mass sensitivity were discerned using eigenvalue analysis. The structural natural frequency was consistent, with variations primarily due to new equipment adding approximately 1400 kgs. With free vibration damping assumptions, a damping ratio of roughly 1 % was derived.