Investigation of anchor installation for floating offshore wind turbines

With offshore wind turbines being constructed in water depths greater than 40 m, floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) become more cost-effective than conventionally founded alternatives. However, sea bed anchoring of such floating bodies is yet not well understood, and deeper insights into the anchor-soil-interaction are crucial for the operation safety of these structures. Installation effects of the anchor-soil-interaction are often ignored. In this scope of work, installing a drag embedded anchor (DEA) in Baltic Sea soil is simulated and analyzed using FEM with the Coupled Euler-Lagrange approach. The soil state is examined before and after installation. Results show a major change in the soil state surrounding the anchor. The performed simulations are planned to be validated by centrifuge tests to derive macroelements that accurately represent the load response of FOWT anchors in sea soil. Discrepancies between simulation results and conventional calculations show that considerations regarding more complex soil models and installation effects must be included when designing FOWTs in order to improve the prediction of the platform movement and ensure FOWT safety.

Schlagworte

anchor installation

CEL

drag embedment anchor (DEA)

FOWT

offshore geotechnics

DDC Class

690: Building, Construction

Options

Investigation of anchor installation for floating offshore wind turbines