• Wind and Structures
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.75-90
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• 2016

A probabilistic approach that combines structural demand hazard analysis with cumulative damage assessment is presented and applied to a steel tower of a wind turbine. The study presents the step by step procedure to compare the reliability over time of the structure subjected to fatigue, assuming: a) a binomial Weibull annual wind speed, and b) a traditional Weibull probability distribution function (PDF). The probabilistic analysis involves the calculation of force time simulated histories, fatigue analysis at the steel tower base, wind hazard curves and structural fragility curves. Differences in the structural reliability over time depending on the wind speed PDF assumed are found, and recommendations about selecting a real PDF are given.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.405-420
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• 2019

In this study, vibration characteristics of offshore wind turbine tower (WTT) with gravity-based foundation (GBF) are identified from dynamic responses under wave-induced excitations. The following approaches are implemented to achieve the objective. Firstly, the operational modal analysis methods such as frequency domain decomposition (FDD) and stochastic subspace identification (SSI) are selected to estimate modal parameters from output-only dynamic responses. Secondly, a GBF WTT model composed of superstructure, substructure and foundation is simulated as a case study by using a structural analysis program, MIDAS FEA. Thirdly, wave pressures acting on the WTT structure are established by nonlinear regular waves which are simulated from a computational fluid software, Flow 3D. Wave-induced acceleration responses of the target structure are analyzed by applying the simulated wave pressures to the GBF WTT model. Finally, modal parameters such as natural frequencies and mode shapes are estimated from the output-only acceleration responses and compared with the results from free vibration analysis. The effect of wave height and period on modal parameter extraction is also investigated for the mode identification of the GBF WTT.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.177-201
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• 2014

With the increased size and flexibility of the tower and blades, structural vibrations are becoming a limiting factor towards the design of even larger and more powerful wind turbines. Research into the use of vibration mitigation devices in the turbine tower has been carried out but the use of dampers in the blades has yet to be investigated in detail. Mitigating vibrations will increase the design life and hence economic viability of the turbine blades and allow for continual operation with decreased downtime. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of Semi-Active Tuned Mass Dampers (STMDs) in reducing the edgewise vibrations in the turbine blades. A frequency tracking algorithm based on the Short Time Fourier Transform (STFT) technique is used to tune the damper. A theoretical model has been developed to capture the dynamic behaviour of the blades including the coupling with the tower to accurately model the dynamics of the entire turbine structure. The resulting model consists of time dependent equations of motion and negative damping terms due to the coupling present in the system. The performances of the STMDs based vibration controller have been tested under different loading and operating conditions. Numerical analysis has shown that variation in certain parameters of the system, along with the time varying nature of the system matrices has led to the need for STMDs to allow for real-time tuning to the resonant frequencies of the system.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.9-12
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• 2005

In this paper. we offer a new monitoring system that controls all of the windfar. it can also apply use general wind turbine systems and real meteorological tower. We propose a hierarchical releiable monitoring system connected by wireless communication channels between monitoring host computer and modular slave measuring subsystems. Our system has two hierarchical subsystems: slave measuring systems, and supervisory host computer. We design and implement that the slave measuring subsystems is placed in meteorological tower and wind turbines, and the supervisory host computer in safety zone, The micro-controller in slave measuring system is duplicated using cold-standby method for reliability. The host computer and slave system constructs a feedback system, with wireless communication channel between them. For monitoring and command function, the supervisory computer is implemented with a Personal Computer using graphic user interface. Consequently. we can get a reliable but economic system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1008-1016
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• 2007

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the Natural Frequency behavior characteristic of Wind Turbine Tower model, and calculated the stress values of thrust load, wave load, wind load, current load, and gravity load. The offshore Jacket Type Tower which was installed in Vitenam South China Sea is used for the study. Natural frequency and mode shape are calculated with commercial program using the measured vibration. The finite element analysis is performed with commercial F.E.M program(ANSYS) on the basis of the natural frequency and mode shape.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2020

This paper presents a method of estimation of fatigue demands on connection bolts of tubular steel wind turbine towers. The presented method relies on numerical simulation of aerodynamic loads and structural behavior of bolted connections modeled using finite element method. Variability of wind parameters is represented by a set of values derived from their probability densities, which are adjusted based on field measurements. Numerically generated stress time-series show agreement with the measurements from strain gauges inside bolts, in terms of power spectra and the resulting damage. Position of each bolt has a determining effect on its fatigue damage. The proposed framework for fatigue life estimation represents the complexities in loading and local behavior of the structure. On the other hand, the developed procedure is computationally efficient since it requires a limited number of simulations for statistically representing the wind variations.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.201-209
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• 2011

An unsteady RANS analysis study of the 3-D flow around the NREL Phase VI horizontal axis wind turbine(HAWT) was performed using sliding mesh approach. Two different analysis models such as rotor-only and rotor with tower/nacelle were constructed to investigate the blade/tower interaction. Analysis results for the rotor with tower/nacelle were compared with the corresponding NREL's experimental data which produced fairly good validation of the present CFD model. Comparison of flows around those two models also clearly showed the blade/tower interaction even it was small for upwind configuration. Other visualization results and integrated aerodynamic loads including torque of the blade demonstrated the effective unsteady flow simulation capability of the present CFD model.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.301-311
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• 2012

This paper presents results from the structural monitoring of a steel wind tower characterized and presented in Part I of the paper. Monitoring period corresponds to about fifteen months of measurements. Results presented refer to stress distribution on shell and in bolts at different heights, stress fatigue spectra, section forces along height evaluated from the stress measurements and comparison with design forces, dynamic response in terms of accelerations, stresses, deflections and rotations.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.575-584
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• 2014

In this study, the NREL 5 MW wind turbine tower model was optimized according to the multi-body dynamics and reliability-based design. The mathematical model was defined as a link-joint system including dynamic characteristics derived from Timoshenko's beam theory. For the optimization problem, the sensitivities to variations in the tower thicknesses and inner and outer diameters were acquired and arranged in terms of safety and efficiency according to bending stress and buckling standards. An optimal design was calculated with the advanced first-order second moment method and used to define a finite element model for validation. The finite element model was simulated by static analysis. The relationship between the multi-body dynamic and finite element method throughout the process was investigated, and the optimal model, which had high endurance despite its low mass, was determined.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.209-215
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• 2010

In this study, seismic response analyses of a MW class wind-turbine have been conducted considering applied wind-loads using advanced computational method based on CFD and FEM. Typical lateral and vertical acceleration levels induced by earthquake is also considered herein. Practical numerical method for seismic response analysis of wind-turbine tower models are presented in the time-domain and the effects of wind load and seismic excitation for responses are compared to each other. It is importantly shown that possible earthquake effect during typical operating conditions should be taken into account in the design of huge wind-turbine tower systems because of its enormous inertia characteristics for induced maximum stress level.