A Design Procedure for Anchors of Floating Ocean Current Turbines on Weak Rock

Francisco Bañuelos-García, Michael Ring, Edgar Mendoza and Rodolfo Silva
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Francisco Bañuelos-García: Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Cerro de Coatepec S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, Toluca 50110, Mexico
Michael Ring: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico
Edgar Mendoza: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico
Rodolfo Silva: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán 04510, Mexico

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-31

Abstract: In recent years, ocean current turbines have proven to be a reliable device for renewable energy generation. A crucial element of these turbines are the foundations, since they limit the displacement of the turbine, which is key in achieving efficiency in energy conversion, and can account for up to 26% of the total cost of the project. Most design procedures for foundations focus on sandy and clayey soils, but rock soils often predominate in tropical locations where marine currents are suitable for the installation of this type of turbine. This paper presents a design procedure for steel pile anchors (PAs) and concrete dead weight anchors (DWAs) on weak rock soils, using the assumptions of current technical documents and design codes commonly used in the industry for marine structures. Using specific designs for PA and DWA anchors, the procedure was theoretically assessed for a site off Cozumel Island, Mexico. The results show that the dimensions needed for DWAs are substantially larger than those for PAs. Therefore, whenever drilling is economically and operatively possible, piles would be preferable for the foundations of current turbine systems.

Keywords: ocean current turbine; foundation design; dead weight anchor; pile anchor; limestone seabed; design procedure (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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