NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A WIND TURBINE TOWER WHEN SUBJECTED TO WIND AND EARTHQUAKE FORCES

Abstract eng:
Wind turbines are renewable energy sources that are continuously increasing in numbers and seize. The main structural part, which is the tall tower and its foundation supporting the turbine, is designed to withstand a variety of load combinations. These include the gravitational forces together with a variety of loads that are transferred from the turbine to the tall supporting tower depending on the wind direction and intensity and on the operative condition of the turbine. Such a wind turbine supporting tower made of steel and being supported on a reinforced concrete (R/C) foundation is studied numerically here. Initially, the Thrust and Torque transmitted from the wind turbine blades to the steel tower are obtained through either a commercial software or a software developed by the authors. Next, the numerical simulation of the steel tower and its R/C foundation is formed, with or without flexible soil conditions, and its dynamic characteristics are presented and discussed. Finally, these numerical models are subjected to specific combinations of gravitational forces and airflow as well as extreme conditions linked with circuit breakdown, restart and an assumed design earthquake for Greece. The obtained results, in terms of stress and deformation of the critical elements of the steel tower and its R/C foundation, are presented and discussed.

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