Validation of the ColFOWT collision assessment tool for ship/offshore wind turbines
Vandegar, Gabriel
Promotor(s) : Rigo, Philippe
Academic year : 2022-2023 • Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2268.2/18060
Details
Title : | Validation of the ColFOWT collision assessment tool for ship/offshore wind turbines |
Translated title : | [fr] Validation de l'outil d'évaluation des collisions ColFOWT pour les navires/éoliennes offshore |
Author : | Vandegar, Gabriel |
Advisor(s) : | Rigo, Philippe |
Committee's member(s) : | Rigo, Philippe |
Language : | English |
Number of pages : | 88 |
Keywords : | [en] Ship Collisions, Offshore Wind Turbines, Simplified Methods, Finite Element Analysis. |
Discipline(s) : | Engineering, computing & technology > Mechanical engineering |
Name of the research project : | ColFOWT project |
Target public : | Researchers |
Institution(s) : | Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique |
Degree: | Master : ingénieur civil mécanicien, à finalité spécialisée en "Advanced Ship Design" |
Faculty: | Master thesis of the Faculté des Sciences appliquées |
Abstract
[en] The consequences of ship collisions against offshore wind turbines can range from minor
structural damage to catastrophic failure, depending on various factors such as vessel initial
kinetic energy, impact location, and geometry. To address this critical issue, the ColFOWT
(Collision against Floating Offshore Wind Turbines) project focuses on developing a rapid
collision assessment tool that integrates closed-form analytical models. This tool predicts the
complex energy transfer processes during impacts and aims to validate its accuracy through
numerical simulations using the LS-DYNA non-linear FEM package.
In this mater thesis, the analytical tool for spar-buoy floating platforms is presented. The
developed method adopts a semi-coupled approach, using the rigid-body dynamics program
MCOL to simulate the external dynamics of the floating wind turbine. Meanwhile, internal
mechanics are computed using an elasto-plastic simplified method for the impact response of
standalone tubular offshore wind turbine supports. An overview of the algorithm is provided,
including a detailed explanation of both internal mechanics and external dynamics solvers, along
with the coupling method.
The presented collision tool is validated by comparing it against simulations conducted with
LS-DYNA/MCOL. The case study involves various offshore supply vessels impacting, with
varying initial velocities, an NREL 5 MW baseline turbine mounted on an OC3 Hywind
reference spar platform. The results demonstrate that in most of the cases, the analytical tool
is able to capture quite accurately the response of both the turbine and the vessel, accounting
for the action of both the surrounding water and the mooring lines. Its current limitations
are also highlighted and, although there is still room for improvement, this user-friendly and
cost-effective complementary tool shows good accuracy for the early-design stage.
Cite this master thesis
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