Work

Dynamic Performance of Advanced Composite Towers in Offshore Wind Farms: Experimental and Numerical Investigation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Conventional steel towers face challenges such as insufficient stiffness and structural instability, making them increasingly unsuitable for supporting large multi‐megawatt wind turbines. This study investigates the dynamic performance of concrete‐filled double‐skin steel tubular (CFDST) wind turbine towers as a novel structural member. Through wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations, the study proves that CFDST towers exhibit exceptional vibration stability, effectively preventing resonance coupling with blade harmonics. The results demonstrate a 51.52% reduction in the cumulative distribution function (CDF) curve and significantly smaller displacement trajectory ranges compared to traditional steel tubular (ST) towers, confirming enhanced stability. Consequently, the displacement of the CFDST tower in downwind and crosswind directions can be reduced up to 67.53% and 69.23%, respectively. Furthermore, the vibration frequency of CFDST towers is positioned further from blade excitation frequencies, underscoring their superior dynamic behavior. A validated finite element model further shows that CFDST towers reduce the mean wind pressure coefficient by 49.52%, the fluctuating wind pressure coefficient by 22.12%, and the lift‐drag coefficient by up to 55.61%. These findings collectively underscore the enhanced performance of CFDST towers, establishing them as a promising next‐generation wind turbine structure for future multi‐megawatt applications in offshore settings.

Source: Wind Energy

DOI: 10.1002/we.70068

Authors: Xiaogang Jia, Kuangmin Gong, Kaiyuan Liu, Shiping Lan

Institution: China Three Gorges Corporation (China)

Language: English

Topic: Wind Energy Research and Development

Subfield: Aerospace Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,730