Offshore wind turbines are getting massive. Built to harvest relentless ocean breezes, these megastructures face a constant battle against heavy winds and crushing waves. 

Yet as the green energy push expands across the Asia-Pacific, engineers face a quiet, terrifying threat beneath the ocean floor: earthquakes.

When a seismic shockwave hits a standard turbine, the sheer momentum can tear the tower apart. Now, researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have borrowed a trick from bridge engineering to keep these ocean giants standing.

“Our research shows that a relatively simple structural reinforcement concept, inspired by cable-stayed systems used in bridges and towers, can significantly improve the dynamic performance of offshore wind turbines under combined earthquake, wind and wave loading,” the researchers said.  

Led by Professor Behzad Fatahi, the UTS team modeled a novel cable-stay reinforcement system designed specifically for massive 15-megawatt wind turbines on monopile foundations.

Monopiles are massive steel cylinders driven into the seabed. These are the dominant foundation type for fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines globally. The cable-stay research applies directly to the vast majority of current and planned wind farms because it specifically targets monopile designs.

The concept is surprisingly simple. Engineers can drastically increase the tower’s flexural stiffness using high-tensile steel cables and supporting struts, mirroring the design of cable-stayed bridges.

This structural upgrade could allow older wind farms to safely withstand severe environmental hazards, keeping revenue-generating equipment online longer and boosting the long-term return on investment.

Source: UTS News

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