Floating LiDAR systems (FLSs) are used in many countries because they are easier to install than stationary weather towers, have low maintenance costs, and can be installed in deep sea areas. However, FLSs are rarely used in Korea due to a lack of clear evaluation criteria to verify the reliability and uncertainty of their measurements. This study is the first to verify the reliability of FLSs in Korea with one-year simultaneous observation of six lidar systems - two fixed and four floating systems - in sea areas of Gunsan and Yeonggwang. The reliability of FLSs measurement data was verified by comparison between fixed and floating systems. Moreover, differences between existing wind resource maps and the data observed from the six points were analyzed and wind resource maps were calibrated. The results show a return rate of more than 95 % of the observed data and strong correlations between fixed and floating systems (average R2 of 0.977). Additionally, errors in wind speed predictions to produce a wind resource map could be significantly reduced from 5.7 % to 0.6 % after calibrations with the observation data.

The significance of renewable energy has been on the rise, as evidenced by the 3020 renewable energy plan and the 2050 carbon neutrality strategy, which seek to advance a low-carbon economy by implementing a power supply strategy centered around renewable energy sources. This study examines the wind resources on the west coast of South Korea and confirms the potential for wind power generation in the area. Wind speed data was collected from 22 automatic weather system stations and four light house automatic weather system stations provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration to evaluate potential sites for wind farms. Weibull distribution was used to analyze the wind data and calculate wind power density. Annual energy production and capacity factors were estimated for 15-20 MW-class large wind turbines through the height correction of observed wind speeds. These findings offer valuable information for selecting wind power generation sites, predicting economic feasibility, and determining optimal equipment capacity for future wind power generation sites in the region.

In order to secure the safety of increasing offshore activities such as offshore wind farm maintenance and fishing, IMPACT, a mid-term marine weather forecasting system, was established by predicting marine weather up to 7 days in advance. Forecast data from the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA), which provides the most reliable marine meteorological service in Korea, was used, but wind speed and wave height forecast errors increased as the leading forecast period increased, so improvement of the accuracy of the model results was needed. The Model Output Statistics (MOS) method, a post-correction method using statistical machine learning, was applied to improve the prediction accuracy of wave height, which is an important factor in forecasting the risk of marine activities. Compared with the observed data, the wave height prediction results by the model before correction for 6 to 7 days ahead showed an RMSE of 0.692 m and R of 0.591, and there was a tendency to underestimate high waves. After correction with the MOS technique, RMSE was 0.554 m and R was 0.732, confirming that accuracy was significantly improved.

The reduction of operation and maintenance (O&M) costs is a critical factor in determining the competitiveness of wind energy. Predictive maintenance based on the estimation of remaining useful life (RUL) is a key technology to reduce logistic costs and increase the availability of wind turbines. Although a mechanical component usually has sudden changes during operation, most RUL estimation methods use the trend of a state index over the whole operation period. Therefore, overestimation of RUL causes confusion in O&M plans and reduces the effect of predictive maintenance. In this paper, two RUL estimation methods (load based and data driven) are proposed for the bearings of a wind turbine with the results of trend classification, which differentiates constant and increasing states of the state index. The proposed estimation method is applied to a bearing degradation test, which shows a conservative estimation of RUL.

To improve AEP, wind turbine blade lengths are increasing every year. As the length of blades increases, the blade tip speed also increases. Because of the increased tip speed, the impact energy between the leading edge and raindrops also increases. The increased impact energy is the primary factor contributing to erosion of the blade's leading edge. Blade leading edge erosion reduces aerodynamic performance, increases repair costs, and causes downtime. Therefore, numerous studies are being conducted on protective solutions and RET systems to prevent and delay erosion of the blade's leading edge. However, few institutions in Korea research protective solutions and RET systems. In this study, we aim to develop a laboratory-scale RET system. The developed RET system was based on the ASTM G73-10 standard. As a result of the RET, it was confirmed that the erosion tendency was similar to that of overseas institutions. In addition, the effectiveness of the RET system was verified by a maximum erosion rate of 0.0023 for an epoxy-based protective solution.

In order to reveal the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of Korean and foreign wind turbines, a study was conducted for Korean onshore wind farms. Actual CapEx and OpEx data were obtained from audit reports for 26 onshore wind farms corresponding to 53.87 percent of the total onshore wind farms in Korea in the Data Analysis, Retrieval Transfer (DART) system. In addition, capacity factor (CF) data were calculated from data provided by Statistics Korea. Random numbers were generated from distributions that were fitted by the datasets, which were used as input data to perform a Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The levelized fixed cost (LFC) and the levelized variable cost (LVC) were calculated from distributions of the CapEx, the OpEx and the CF. As a result, the LCOEs of the analyzed total Korean wind farms, and Korean and foreign wind turbines were 147, 148, and 146 USD/MWh, respectively. The averaged LCOE of Korea was estimated to be 4 USD/MWh lower than that of Japan, while it was much higher than German and global averages.

This paper aims to perform optimal operation and maintenance with an integrated monitoring system for offshore wind platforms. Based on the wind direction and wind speed data of existing wind farms, a monitoring system was established along with weather and weather data to maximize the operational efficiency of wind farms. Compared to wind power on land, offshore wind power is difficult to maintain due to weather, logistics and geographical limitations. Therefore, economic analysis of actual operation and maintenance is essential for large-scale offshore wind farms. In this paper, the availability of offshore wind farms was analyzed by using personnel resources, parts inventory, Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) and Specialized service Operation Vessel (SOV) etc. before the actual operation and maintenance of wind farms. A comparative analysis was conducted to determine the optimum operating efficiency and economical maintenance costs.

Offshore wind farms (OWFs) should be promoted as part of global efforts to respond to climate change, and efforts to preserve biodiversity in terms of climate change adaptation should also be considered. However, the ecological status of marine birds related to OWFs on the Korean Peninsula, such as habitat and reproduction, are not well known. In this study, ecological reasons for the reproductive status of Black-tailed gulls in Korea and representation related to OWFs, the evaluation direction of marine birds related to OWFs was presented. In a review of the techniques for monitoring marine birds, it was confirmed that Korea also needs to provide basic status information on marine birds at the national level. In addition, this study analyzed the reproductive status and related research status of Black-tailed gulls, an important indicator and dominant species on the Korean Peninsula, in relation to marine development projects including OWFs. Furthermore, the direction of environmental impact assessment preparation and impact prediction for various development projects promoted in the ocean, such as OWFs, was considered.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the inter-laminar fracture toughness characteristics of CFRP pultrusion spar cap materials reinforced with non-woven glass fabric. Test specimens were fabricated by the infusion technique. A non-woven glass fabric and artificial defects were embedded on the middle surface between two pultruded CFRP panels. Double cantilever beam (DCB) and End Notched Flexure (ENF) tests were performed according to ASTM standards. Fracture toughness and crack propagation characteristics were evaluated with load-displacement curves and delamination resistance curves (R-Curve). The fracture toughness results were calculated by compliance calibration (CC) method. The initiation and propagation values of Mode-I critical strain energy release rate value G_Ic were 1.357 kJ/m2 and 1.397 kJ/m2, respectively, and Mode-II critical strain energy release rate values G_IIc were 4.053 kJ/m2 for non-precracked test and 4.547 kJ/m2 for precracked test. It was found that the fracture toughness properties of the CFRP pultrusion spar-cap are influenced by the interface between the layers of CFRP and glass fiber non-woven.

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.

The aim of this study is to develop guidelines for predicting interference between drones and wakes during non-destructive blade inspections in wind power systems. The wake generated by wind towers and blades can affect the stability of drone flights, necessitating the establishment of guidelines to ensure safe and efficient inspections. In order to predict the interference between drones and blades, environmental variables must be considered, including quantification of turbulence intensity in the wake generated by the tower and blades, as well as determining the appropriate distance between the drone and the tower/blades for flight stability. To achieve this, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was performed using cross-sectional geometries corresponding to the main wind turbine blade and tower span locations. Based on the CFD analysis results, a safe flight path for drones is proposed, which minimizes the risk of collision and interference with towers and blades during maintenance operations of wind power systems. Implementation of the proposed guidelines is expected to enhance the safety and efficiency of maintenance work.

A structural safety evaluation was conducted for the stabbing system for the pre-piling jacket substructure currently being developed in South Korea, considering pile construction errors due to its lateral movement that may occur during construction in the ocean. Based on (1) the maximum stress generated by the stabbing system, (2) the maximum rotational displacement of the guide cone, and (3) the maximum stress generated by the horizontal hydraulic pressure cylinder, the structural safety of the stabbing system was examined under the initial loading condition and three possible load combinations during its construction. In order to evaluate the structural safety of the stabbing system, a concept of stress safety factor (= Yield stress / Max. Von-Mises stress) was used. It was found that the stabbing system considered in this study has a sufficient margin of safety.