Influence of variability and uncertainty of wind and waves on fatigue damage of a floating wind turbine drivetrain

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of variability and uncertainty of wind and wave conditions on the short-term fatigue damage of a 10-MW floating wind turbine drivetrain. Global dynamic responses of a semi-submersible wind turbine are calculated by aero-hydro-servo-elastic simulations in various environmental conditions. Then, rotor and generator loads, as well as nacelle motions from the global analysis are provided to a drivetrain model to investigate its dynamics. One-hour fatigue damage of the drivetrain bearings is calculated based on the bearing loads and speeds, and the effect of uncertainties related to wind and waves is assessed. The results indicate that the variations of mean wind speed, turbulence intensity and wind shear have great effects on the studied drivetrain. The effect of uncertainties of irregular waves on the drivetrain fatigue damage is small. Five wind and wave random samples are sufficient for dynamic analysis of the drivetrain to achieve accurate results at a reasonable computational cost. Among the drivetrain components, the main bearings are generally most sensitive to the investigated environmental variables. Finally, this study discusses the variation of environmental variables in terms of their relative importance for drivetrain analysis. The results provide a basis for establishing improved design standards and engineering practice for design and analysis of floating wind turbine drivetrains.