A Study on the Scour Surrounding the Fixed Foundation of an Offshore Wind Turbine under Complex Waves, Tidal Currents, and Pile Vibration Conditions

Bo Qin (), Rui Qu, Wenxian Yang and Yanfeng Xie
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Bo Qin: School of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104, China
Rui Qu: School of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104, China
Wenxian Yang: School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
Yanfeng Xie: School of Mechanical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: Scouring around the fixed foundations of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) remains a pressing concern within the offshore wind industry, significantly jeopardizing OWT safety. Despite previous efforts, the current understanding of this phenomenon remains incomplete, as various factors related to offshore wind farms and OWT operations can exert intricate influences. To further explore this matter, this paper undertakes a new study to further understand the interplay between monopile vibrations, tidal currents, and sea waves, elucidating their combined impact on scour surrounding an OWT’s foundation. It was found that, besides pile vibration amplitude and frequency, the pile vibration direction can also notably influence the scour around the monopile. Specifically, the most pronounced scour mostly transpires when the monopile undergoes vibrations along the 135° direction relative to the inflow direction. The mildest scour mostly occurs when the pile vibrates along the 90° direction. Additionally, this study reveals that different types of waves, indicated by the ratio of water depth, H, to wavelength, L, also engender varying scour around the monopile. The influence of waves on scour increases with the decrease in the H/L ratio, implying that OWT foundations are more threatened by shallow water waves than by deep water waves.

Keywords: offshore wind turbine; fixed foundation; scour; tidal current; wave (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: 2024
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