An Investigation into the Motion Behaviour of a Wind Farm Mothership

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blanca Peña ◽  
Erik P. ter Brake ◽  
Kyriakos Moschonas
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Financial Benefit ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Motion Characteristics ◽  
Vessel Motion ◽  
Motion Behavior

A number of UK Round Three offshore wind farms are located relatively far from the coast making crew transfer to the sites time consuming, more prone to interruption by weather conditions and increasingly costly. In order to optimize the functionality of a permanent accommodation vessel, Houlder has developed a dedicated Accommodation and Maintenance Wind Farm vessel based on an oil & gas work-over vessel that has been successfully deployed for many years. The Accommodation and Maintenance (A&M) Wind Farm vessel is designed to provide an infield base for Marine Wind Farm operation. The A&M vessel is designed for high operability when it comes to crew access and performance of maintenance and repair of wind turbine components in its workshops. Also general comfort on board is of high regard. As such, the seakeeping behavior of the unit is of great importance. In this publication, the seakeeping behavior is presented on the basis of numerical simulations using 3D diffraction software. The first design iteration is driven by achieving high maneuverability and good motion characteristics for operational up-time and personnel comfort on board the vessel. Model test data of the original work-over vessel has been used to validate and calibrate the numerical simulations. On this basis, parametric studies can be performed to fine-tune a potential new hull form. In turn, this could reduce the number of required physical model tests providing a potential financial benefit and optimized delivery schedule. The vessel motion behavior was tested against the acceptability criteria and crew comfort guidelines of motion behavior for a North Sea environment.

scholarly journals The Relation between Migratory Activity of Pipistrellus Bats at Sea and Weather Conditions Offers Possibilities to Reduce Offshore Wind Farm Effects

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3457
Author(s):  
Robin Brabant ◽  
Yves Laurent ◽  
Bob Jonge Poerink ◽  
Steven Degraer
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Seasonal Migration ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Farm ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Migratory Activity

Bats undertaking seasonal migration between summer roosts and wintering areas can cross large areas of open sea. Given the known impact of onshore wind turbines on bats, concerns were raised on whether offshore wind farms pose risks to bats. Better comprehension of the phenology and weather conditions of offshore bat migration are considered as research priorities for bat conservation and provide a scientific basis for mitigating the impact of offshore wind turbines on bats. This study investigated the weather conditions linked to the migratory activity of Pipistrellus bats at multiple near- and offshore locations in the Belgian part of the North Sea. We found a positive relationship between migratory activity and ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure and a negative relationship with wind speed. The activity was highest with a wind direction between NE and SE, which may favor offshore migration towards the UK. Further, we found a clear negative relationship between the number of detections and the distance from the coast. At the nearshore survey location, the number of detections was up to 24 times higher compared to the offshore locations. Our results can support mitigation strategies to reduce offshore wind farm effects on bats and offer guidance in the siting process of new offshore wind farms.

Sea-Keeping Analysis of an Offshore Wind Farm Installation Vessel During the Jack-Up Process

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip H. Augener ◽  
Hannes Hatecke
Keyword(s):  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Shallow Waters ◽  
Offshore Wind Farm ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Jack Up

Offshore wind farms are not planned in sheltered and shallow waters any longer. Especially in the North Sea there exist many approved offshore wind farm projects at water depth between 30 and 50 meters. In particular the installation process of these projects is strongly influenced by weather conditions and the sea-keeping capabilities of the installation vessels. For reliable planning of the entire project, not only the weather statistics, but also the vessel’s sea-keeping capabilities need to be known accurately. For this purpose different kinds of sea-keeping analyses can be conducted. In this paper a sea-keeping analysis is presented, where the focus is upon the jack-up process. For the numerical computation the sea-keeping code E4ROLLS is applied. The results of this sea-keeping analysis are operational limitations for the jack-up process, caused by two different criteria derived from jack-up classification requirements.

scholarly journals Stable Ships for Smooth Servicing of Offshore Wind Farms

2014 ◽  
pp. 179-183
Author(s):  
Matthew Shanley
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Irish Sea ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
The Irish Sea

There is a rapid increase in the number of offshore wind farms in European waters to help meet renewable energy targets. Wind turbines are being installed in progressively more exposed areas of the North Sea and the Irish Sea, with the eventual aim of placing them in the Atlantic Ocean. As offshore wind farms require regular maintenance, being able to access the wind turbines during rough sea conditions is a key issue for profitable operation. The operation involves transferring personnel from the service ship to the wind turbine. The current wave height limit for this is 1.5 m, slightly less than 5 feet, increasing this results in significant savings over the lifetime of the wind farm. Each wind farm service ship has 12 maintenance crew. Imagine you are one waiting on port for the sea and weather conditions to be right so that you can head out to the wind ...

Monitoring fisheries resources at offshore wind farms: BACI vs. BAG designs

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 890-900
Author(s):  
Elizabeth T Methratta
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Power ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Cultural Value ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Fisheries Resources ◽  
Unaffected Control ◽  
Before And After

Abstract Offshore wind farms often co-occur with biodiverse marine ecosystems with high ecological, economic, and cultural value. Yet there are many uncertainties about how wind farms affect marine organisms and their environment. The before–after–control–impact (BACI) design, an approach that compares an impact location with an unaffected control both before and after the intervention, is the most common method used to study how offshore wind farms affect finfish. Unfortunately, this design has several methodological limitations that undermine its ability to detect effects in these studies. An alternative approach, the before–after-gradient (BAG) design, would sample along a gradient with increasing distance from the turbines both before and after the intervention, and could overcome many of the limitations of BACI. The BAG design would eliminate the difficult task of finding a suitable control, allow for the assessment of the spatial scale and extent of wind farm effects, and improve statistical power by incorporating distance as an independent variable in analytical models rather than relegating it to the error term. This article explores the strengths and weaknesses of the BACI and BAG designs in the context of offshore wind development and suggests an approach to incorporating the BAG design into existing fisheries surveys and a regional monitoring framework.

scholarly journals Analysis of offshore wind farm located on Baltic Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 137 ◽  
pp. 01049
Author(s):  
Anna Sobotka ◽  
Kajetan Chmielewski ◽  
Marcin Rowicki ◽  
Justyna Dudzińska ◽  
Przemysław Janiak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Union Policy ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Wind Measurements ◽  
The Baltic

Poland is currently at the beginning of the energy transformation. Nowadays, most of the electricity generated in Poland comes from coal combustion. However, in accordance to the European Union policy of reducing the emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, there are already plans to switch to low-emission energy sources in Poland, one of which are offshore wind farms. The article presents the current regulatory environment of the offshore wind energy in Poland, along with a reference to Polish and European decarbonisation plans. In the further part of the article, the methods of determining the kinetic energy of wind and the power curve of a wind turbine are discussed. Then, on the basis of historical data of wind speeds collected in the area of the Baltic Sea, calculations are carried out leading to obtain statistical distributions of power that could be generated by an exemplary wind farm with a power capacity of 400 MW, located at the place of wind measurements. On their basis, statistical differences in the wind power generation between years, months of the year and hours of the day are analysed.

A Study on the New Grid Integration Solutions of Offshore Wind Farms

2011 ◽  
Vol 383-390 ◽  
pp. 3610-3616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Yin Zhang ◽  
Zai Jun Wu ◽  
Si Peng Hao ◽  
Ke Xu
Keyword(s):  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Grid Integration ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Reliable Operation ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Electrical Interconnection ◽  
Investment Cost ◽  
And Performance

Offshore wind farm is developed in the ascendant currently. The reliable operation, power loss, investment cost and performance of wind farms were effect by the integration solutions of electrical interconnection system directly. Several new integration configurations based on VSC-HVDC were comparative analyzed. For the new HVDC topology applied the wind farm internal DC bus, the Variable Speed DC (VSDC) system that is suitable for those topologies was proposed. The structure of VSDC was discussed and maximum wind power tracking was simulated on the minimal system. It is clear that new integration configurations based on VSC-HVDC has good prospects.

Optimization of O&M for Offshore Wind Farms Modelling for WMTC Conferences

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Nivet ◽  
Ema Muk-Pavic
Keyword(s):  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Operation Analysis ◽  
Cost Effective Approach ◽  
Failure Evaluation

Offshore wind energy is one of the most upcoming sources of energy, and it is already partially replacing the fossil fuelled power production. However, offshore wind turbine technology is also associated with harsher weather environment. Indeed, it experiences more challenging wind and wave conditions, which in turn limits the vessels capabilities to access the wind farms. Additionally, with the constant rise of power utilization, improvements in the Operation Maintenance (O&M) planning are crucial for the development of large isolated offshore wind farms. Improvements in the planning of the O&M for offshore wind farms could lead to considerable reduction in costs. For this reason, the interest of this research paper is the investigation of the most cost effective approach to offshore turbine maintenance strategies. This objective is achieved by implementing a simulation approach that includes a climate conditions analysis, an operation analysis, a failure evaluation and a simulation of the repairs. This paper points out how different O&M strategies can influence the sustainability of a wind farm.

Community Benefits and UK Offshore Wind Farms: Evolving Convergence in a Divergent Practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 2150001
Author(s):  
John Glasson
Keyword(s):  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Energy Industry ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Onshore Wind ◽  
Community Benefits ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Renewable Energy Industry

The Offshore Wind sector is a major, dynamic, and rapidly evolving renewable energy industry. This is particularly so in Europe, and especially in the UK. Associated with the growth of the industry has been a growth of interest in community benefits as voluntary measures provided by a developer to the host community. However, in many cases, and for some of the large North Sea distant offshore wind farms, the benefits packages have been disparate and pro rata much smaller than for the well-established onshore wind farm industry. However, there are signs of change. This paper explores the issues of community benefits for the UK offshore sector and evolving practice, as reflected in a macro study of the adoption of community benefits approaches across the industry. This is followed by a more in-depth micro- approach, which explores approaches that have been adopted in three case studies of recent OWF projects — Aberdeen, Beatrice and the Hornsea Array. Whilst there is still much divergence in practice, there are also examples of some convergence, and the development of a more replicable practice. Particularly notable is the adoption of annual community benefits funds, as the key element of community benefits schemes/agreements between developers, local authorities and local communities.

An ecosystem approach for studying the impact of offshore wind farms: a French case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 1238-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Philippe Pezy ◽  
Aurore Raoux ◽  
Jean-Claude Dauvin
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Sampling Strategy ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Ecopath Model ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The French government is planning the construction of offshore wind farms (OWF) in the next decade (around 2900 MW). Following the European Environmental Impact Assessment Directive 85/337/EEC, several studies have been undertaken to identify the environmental conditions and ecosystem functioning at selected sites prior to OWF construction. However, these studies are generally focused on the conservation of some species and there is no holistic approach for analysing the effects arising from OWF construction and operation. The objective of this article is to promote a sampling strategy to collect data on the different ecosystem compartments of the future Dieppe-Le Tréport (DLT) wind farm site, adopting an ecosystem approach, which could be applied to other OWFs for the implementation of a trophic network analysis. For that purpose, an Ecopath model is used here to derive indices from Ecological Network Analysis (ENA) to investigate the ecosystem structure and functioning. The results show that the ecosystem is most likely detritus-based, associated with a biomass dominated by bivalves, which could act as a dead end for a classic trophic food web since their consumption by top predators is low in comparison to their biomass. The systemic approach developed for DLT OWF site should be applied for other French and European installations of Offshore Wind Farm.

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