A New System for Three-Dimensional High-Resolution Geophysical Surveys

2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Sack ◽  
Tor Haugland ◽  
Graeme Stock
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Seismic Surveys ◽  
Positioning Systems ◽  
System A ◽  
Geophysical Surveys

AbstractHigh-resolution geophysical surveys have been used for some time to reduce risk from the installation of fixed platforms offshore. They have been used primarily in relatively shallow water for the placement of fixed, freestanding oil and gas platforms. However, their relevance has changed with the advent of offshore wind farms and the need to understand the underlying geology. Furthermore, the Deepwater Horizon accident has shown that these data are essential to any structure attached to the seabed, not just those that are rigidly fixed. The development of accurate acquisition techniques reduces the uncertainty and increases the effectiveness of these surveys (RenewableUK, 2011). Adapting conventional exploration survey acquisition techniques to high-resolution surveys allows the use of precise positioning systems and robust operational equipment. The result is a three-dimensional (3D) high-resolution (HR3D) survey similar in the visualization offered by conventional seismic surveys but with much higher spatial resolution. The HR3D technique presents some physical challenges in the design of the acquisition system. However, the same technique offers some advantages that simplify engineering. Engineering and adaptation of larger-scale geophysical equipment is straightforward. Furthermore, some methods not viable for use in the exploration survey industry have a use in this application. A series of trials in late 2010 and early 2011 allowed the development of the system with individual focuses on the physical, navigation, and geophysical aspects of the system. A production survey was acquired in June 2011. Results from this survey show the advantages of this technique.

scholarly journals Theory and Verification of a new 3D RANS Wake Model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Bradstock ◽  
Wolfgang Schlez
Keyword(s):  
Wind Farm ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Ambient Flow ◽  
Turbulence Decay ◽  
Local Shear ◽  
Time Lagged ◽  
Wake Model

Abstract. This paper details the background to the WakeBlaster model: a purpose built, parabolic three-dimensional RANS solver, developed by ProPlanEn. WakeBlaster is a field model, rather than a single turbine model; it therefore eliminates the need for an empirical wake superposition model. It belongs to a class of very fast (a few core seconds, per flow case) mid-fidelity models, which are designed for industrial application in wind farm design, operation and control. The domain is a three-dimensional structured grid, with approximately 80 nodes covering the rotor disk, by default. WakeBlaster uses eddy viscosity turbulence closure, which is parameterized by the local shear, time-lagged turbulence development, and stability corrections for ambient shear and turbulence decay. The model prescribes a profile at the end of the near-wake, and the spatial variation of ambient flow, by using output from an external flow model. The WakeBlaster model is verified, calibrated and validated using a large volume of data from multiple onshore and offshore wind farms. This paper presents example simulations for one offshore wind farm.

The Experiences From the First Rounds of Offshore Wind Farm Installation in the German EEZ (Both Baltic and North Sea) and Lessons Learnt to Achieve Serial Production Status: A Consultant’s Perspective

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekkehard Stade
Keyword(s):  
Wind Farm ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Farm ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Near Misses ◽  
Construction Operation

Offshore wind farms present a lesser safety risk to operators and contractors than traditional oil and gas installations. In the post Macondo world this does not come as a surprise since the risks involved in construction, operation and maintenance of an offshore wind farm are by far lower. Even with higher probability of incidents and near misses (due to serial construction) the severity/ impact of those is considerably lower. On the other hand projects are complex, profit margins are what they are called: marginal. Hence there is no room for errors, perhaps in form of delays. If, for example, the installation completion of the turbines and the inner array cabling/ export cables are not perfectly in tune, the little commercial success that can be achieved is rapidly diminishing by costly compensation activities. The paper will try to present solutions to the most pressing challenges and elaborate on the effect those would have had, had they been implemented at the beginning of the projects. How can a sustainable new industry evolve by learning from established industries? Presently, there is a view that offshore wind is a short-lived business. Particularly representatives of the oil and gas industry raise such concern. Apart from the obvious bias of those voices, this controversy is also caused by the fact that offshore wind seems to have a tendency to try and re-invent the wheel rather than using established procedures. Even with a relatively stable commitment to the offshore wind development regardless of the respective government focus within European coastal states the industry suffers from financing issues, subsidies, over-regulation due to lack of expertise within authorities and other challenges. The avoidance of those is key to a successful development for this industry in other areas of the planet. In conjunction with a stable commitment this is essential in order to attract the long lead-time projects and to establish the complex supply chains to achieve above goals. The paper will look at the short but intensive history of the industry and establish mitigation to some of the involved risks of offshore wind farm EPCI.

scholarly journals The ecology of infrastructure decommissioning in the North Sea: what we need to know and how to achieve it

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1109-1126 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M Fowler ◽  
A -M Jørgensen ◽  
J W P Coolen ◽  
D O B Jones ◽  
J C Svendsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Joint Research ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea

AbstractAs decommissioning of oil and gas (O&G) installations intensifies in the North Sea, and worldwide, debate rages regarding the fate of these novel habitats and their associated biota—a debate that has important implications for future decommissioning of offshore wind farms (OWFs). Calls to relax complete removal requirements in some circumstances and allow part of an O&G installation to be left in the marine environment are increasing. Yet knowledge regarding the biological communities that develop on these structures and their ecological role in the North Sea is currently insufficient to inform such decommissioning decisions. To focus debate regarding decommissioning policy and guide ecological research, we review environmental policy objectives in the region, summarize existing knowledge regarding ecological aspects of decommissioning for both O&G and OWF installations, and identify approaches to address knowledge gaps through science–industry collaboration. We find that in some cases complete removal will conflict with other policies regarding protection and restoration of reefs, as well as the conservation of species within the region. Key ecological considerations that are rarely considered during decommissioning decisions are: (i) provision of reef habitat, (ii) productivity of offshore ecosystems, (iii) enhancement of biodiversity, (iv) protection of the seabed from trawling, and (v) enhancement of connectivity. Knowledge gaps within these areas will best be addressed using industry infrastructure and vessels for scientific investigations, re-analysis of historical data held by industry, scientific training of industry personnel, joint research funding opportunities, and trial decommissioning projects.

scholarly journals Modelling the impact of offshore wind farms on safety radars onboard oil and gas platforms

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1714-1718
Author(s):  
Laith Danoon ◽  
Waleed Al‐Mashhadani ◽  
Anthony Brown
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals A Review of Life Extension Strategies for Offshore Wind Farms Using Techno-Economic Assessments

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1936
Author(s):  
Benjamin Pakenham ◽  
Anna Ermakova ◽  
Ali Mehmanparast
Keyword(s):  
Wind Farm ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Life Extension ◽  
Financial Model ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas

The aim of this study is to look into the current information surrounding decommissioning and life extension strategies in the offshore wind sector and critically assess them to make informed decisions upon completion of the initial design life in offshore wind farms. This was done through a two-pronged approach by looking into the technical aspects through comprehensive discussions with industrial specialists in the field and also looking into similar but more mature industries such as the Offshore Oil and Gas sector. For the financial side of the assessment, a financial model was constructed to help portray a possible outcome to extend the life for a current offshore wind farm, using the existing data. By employing a techno-economic approach for critical assessment of life extension strategies, this study demonstrates the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy and looks to inform the offshore wind industry the best course of action for current wind farms, depending on their size and age.

scholarly journals Three-dimensional tracking of a wide-ranging marine predator: flight heights and vulnerability to offshore wind farms

2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1474-1482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian R. Cleasby ◽  
Ewan D. Wakefield ◽  
Stuart Bearhop ◽  
Thomas W. Bodey ◽  
Stephen C. Votier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Marine Predator

An Analysis of the Technical Feasibility of Off-Shore Wind Energy in the Philippines

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Lorenz D. Maandal ◽  
Mili-Ann M. Tamayao ◽  
Louis Angelo M. Danao
Keyword(s):  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Capacity Factor ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Gas Extraction ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Technical Feasibility ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms

Abstract The technical feasibility of off-shore wind energy in the Philippines is assessed. Geographic information system is utilized to integrate the different technical data into a single model. Off-shore wind speed data for five years at elevations 10m, 20m, 80m, and 100m from a local database was used as reference for the wind resource study. Two wind turbines were considered for the energy conversion component, Siemens SWT-3.6-120 and Senvion 6.2 M126. The wind speed data was interpolated to 90m and 95m using standard power law to match the hub heights of the turbines studied. The wind power density, wind power, and annual energy production were calculated from the interpolated wind speeds. Areas in the Philippines with capacity factor greater than 30% and performance greater than 10% were considered technically viable. Exclusion criteria were applied to narrow down the potential siting for offshore wind farms, namely, active submerged cables, local ferry routes, marine protected areas, reefs, oil and gas extraction areas, bathymetry, distance to grid, typhoons, and earthquakes. Several sites were determined to be viable with north of Cagayan having the highest capacity factor. The highest wind capacity factor for the offshore wind farms are located in north of Ilocos Norte (SWT-3.6-120: 54.48%–62.60%; 6.2M126: 54.04%–64.79%), north of Occidental Mindoro (SWT-3.6-120: 46.81%–60.92%; 6.2M126: 45.30%–62.60%) and southeast of Oriental Mindoro (SWT-3.6-120: 45.60%–59.52%; 6.2M126: 45.30%–62.60%). However, these sites are not acceptable due to technical, social, and political constraints. The constraints considered in the study are active submerged cables with a buffer of 5 km, local ferry routes with a buffer of 3km, marine protected areas with a buffer 3 km, reefs with a buffer of 3 km, oil and gas extraction areas with a buffer of 5 km, bathymetry less than 50m, distance to grid of within 120 km, historical typhoon tracks with greater than 250 kph and 50 km buffer, and historical earthquakes with greater than 6.5 magnitude with a buffer of 15 km. Upon application of these exclusion criteria, the potential sites for offshore wind farms are north of Cagayan, west of Rizal, north of Camarines Sur, north of Samar, southwest of Masbate, Dinagat Island, Guimaras, and northeast of Palawan.

Wind Measurements for Optimal Siting, Construction and Operation of Offshore Wind Farms With Synthetic Aperture Radar

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Lehner ◽  
Jochen Horstmann ◽  
Tobias Schneiderhan ◽  
Johannes Schulz-Stellenfleth
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Wind Fields ◽  
Sar Images ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Radar Sensors ◽  
The North ◽  
The Baltic

In all European countries with shallow coastal waters and strong mean wind speed at the coast the planning and construction of offshore wind farms is on the way and large parts of the North Sea and the Baltic are under investigation as to whether they are suitable for offshore parks. In this paper it is demonstrated how satellite images taken by spaceborne radar sensors can be used to determine mesoscale wind fields and thus help in the task of planning offshore wind farms. High resolution SAR images acquired by the European remote sensing satellite ERS 2 are presented which show single wind turbines (Fig. 1). The derivation of high resolution wind fields from SAR images is explained and comparisons with numerical models are presented.

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