Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Damage Analysis of Ship Collisions with Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations

Moulas, D, Shafiee, M, Mehmanparast, A (2017) Damage Analysis of Ship Collisions with Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations. Ocean Engineering, 143 . pp. 149-162. ISSN 0029-8018. (doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2017.04.050) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:79768)

PDF Author's Accepted Manuscript
Language: English

Restricted to Repository staff only
Contact us about this Publication
[thumbnail of Proof_OE_4353.pdf]
Official URL:
https:/dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oceaneng.2017.04.050

Abstract

Nowadays, a large number of wind turbines are being installed offshore due to more stable and steady flow of wind at sea and also less noise and visual impact compared to onshore wind farms. With the growing number of offshore wind installations, particular attention should be paid to the safe operation of assets. Offshore wind assets are subject to extreme environmental conditions and high dynamic stresses caused by wind, waves and currents. More importantly, they are largely exposed to hazards associated with collision with either commercial ships or infield support vessels passing closely at high speeds. To date, the damage analysis of collisions between infield support vessels and offshore wind turbine foundations has received very limited attention. In this study, a numerical nonlinear finite element analysis (NLFEA) approach is developed to evaluate the damage to wind turbine foundations when stricken by an offshore support vessel. The model is applied to a case study where 4000 tons class vessels collide with two common types of fixed-bottom foundations, namely monopile and jacket structure in shallow and deep waters respectively. Various accident scenarios are identified and the resulting damage to wind turbine foundations are analyzed. The number, location and the extent of damage to the members in each scenario are determined and the effects of reinforcement on the structure response are evaluated. The results of this research provide a good understanding of the factors that affect magnitude of damage caused by ship-wind turbine collision accidents and give an insight on how the next generation of wind turbine foundations can be designed in a more “collision-friendly” way.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2017.04.050
Uncontrolled keywords: Offshore wind turbine foundation; Ship collision; Damage analysis; Risk assessment; Finite element analysis (FEA)
Subjects: T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) > TA165 Engineering instruments, meters etc. Industrial instrumentation
T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) > TA401 Materials engineering and construction
T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
V Naval Science > VM Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Engineering and Digital Arts
Depositing User: Mahmood Shafiee
Date Deposited: 24 Jan 2020 09:42 UTC
Last Modified: 08 Mar 2022 15:00 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/79768 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.