An Innovative method for the installation of Offshore Wind Turbines

Abstract

Bringing an offshore wind turbine to life is an inspiring task that demands great engineering precision and dedication. Transporting a fully assembled wind turbine to an offshore location for installation ensures that the time spend offshore is considerably minimized and the installation cost is significantly reduced. The objective of this thesis is to develop an innovative method for transporting and installing an offshore wind turbine in water depths above 200 meters. The concept developed is a piece of machinery that relies heavily on the existing technological advances in the field of motion compensation and heavy equipment installation. The thesis is structured into three phases. A design phase in which a new deployment mechanism is developed by considering manufacturability and material selection. An analysis phase that ensures the structural stability of the concept using NX Nastran and a simulation phase that verifies the kinematic stability of the design using NX motion simulation. All the 3D models associated with the design is developed using the software Siemens NX, animated using PTC Creo and rendered using Keyshot. The project focus mostly on the manufacturability of the product by carefully selecting the standards steel cross sections available in the European market and by selecting the equipment’s from European suppliers. A detailed explanation on the various steps involved in the installation process along with a structural and motion analysis to support the claim is presented as a result of the study.