Dynamic ice-structure interaction for jacket substructures

• Main Author: Hoek, Jeffrey (author)
• Other Authors: Hendrikse, H. (mentor), Speet, Jeroen (mentor), Hammer, T.C. (mentor), Delft University of Technology (degree granting institution)
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Ice; Jacket; Craig-Bampton; Superelement; Ice-structure interaction; Arctic; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:ff7b4db4-2a8a-43fa-afd7-f20f902ab5c1

With a growing global demand of clean renewable energy, offshore wind activities will extend to more harsh environments, including sub-arctic areas like the Baltic Sea. Sea ice can occur here which needs to be taken into consideration in the design of substructures, i.e. jacket substructures, of offshore wind turbines. Several ice mitigating measures exist for jacket substructures, of which one is disregarding braces crossing the waterline. In this way, ice cannot induce loads to the relatively slender braces in the jacket. However, disregarding these braces has disadvantages in terms of structural integrity in comparison to a jacket including these braces. In Part I of this thesis, two types of jackets, one without (Type 1) and one with (Type 2) waterline crossing braces, are implemented in a numerical model and subjected to ice loading in order to conclude whether the use of a Type 1 jacket design can be justified or whether a Type 2 jacket design is also suitable in sub-arctic areas. Since over the past years the modelling techniques regarding ice-structure interaction have been updated and improved significantly, assessing the loads at the jacket braces can be done more accurately, allowing to give a more thorough conclusion on whether to use braces crossing the waterline on jackets in sub-arctic areas. As a result, a design including these braces could become feasible, whereas in the past it would be disregarded. Two types of ice failure are considered in this research, being ice bending failure and ice crushing failure. First, a model is developed to quantify the ice actions occurring at a jacket substructure as function of the approach angle of the ice direction relative to the structure and as function of an introduced 'threshold angle'. It was found that ice failing in bending is equally significantly present as ice failing in crushing. Subsequently, numerical models are introduced that describe the failure behaviour of bending and crushing ice and the force that both ice failure types will induce to ...