Project description
Safer offshore wind turbine installations
Wind energy based on floating (offshore) wind turbines is becoming increasingly popular. However, demands for their safety, servicing and better prices is also growing. Wind installations based in the sea comprise adhesive connections that must be replaced using the bonding technique. The EU-funded ASSO project will prepare a solid study, testing and evaluating this operation and its numerical procedure accuracy. The project includes the creation of an innovative non-linear mechanical model. It will evaluate the impact of sea water and other physical factors on the state, behaviour and capacity of adhesive connectors. This multidisciplinary project will include experimental tests, a non-linear mechanical model, FEM analysis, knowledge transfer and training.
Objective
The development of floating (offshore) wind turbines on a commercial scale is expected to grow considerably over the next few years after that different countries have recognized them as the best solution for the production of sustainable energy. In order to satisfy the required needs of safety, serviceability, durability and affordability, the actual connections and the secondary structures have to be replaced by a new ones based on the bonding technique.
The ASSO project has the principal purpose to establish a sound framework for the feasibility and assessment of adhesive connections for offshore wind installations in the marine environment, including experimental tests and accurate numerical procedures.
In this framework, the ASSO project aims to develop: an innovative non-linear mechanical model able to investigate the influence of seawater on the performance of adhesive connections in the presence of leading causes of degradation, ageing and vibrations (due to the waves); an experimental database in order to predict their service life investigating the long-term behaviour and resistance in seawater environment. Consequently, in order to increase the knowledge of adhesive connections in the marine environment, the project is composed of the following three different levels: experimental tests, non-linear mechanical model and FEM analysis. The multidisciplinary nature of the project is strong, involving aspects of mechanical engineering, structural engineering, environmental engineering, applied mathematics, numerical analysis and advanced materials design.
The proposal includes both the transfer of knowledge to the host institution and the training of the candidate in new advanced techniques. Results have the potential capacity to increase the diffusion of offshore wind installations for sustainable energy production, an ambitious target in line with the EU strategy.
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabases
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringstructural engineering
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind power
- engineering and technologymechanical engineering
- natural sciencesmathematicsapplied mathematicsnumerical analysis
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
75794 Paris
France