Adhesive Connection for Secondary Structures in Offshore Wind Installations

Descripción del proyecto

Parques eólicos marinos más seguros

La energía eólica generada a partir de turbinas eólicas flotantes (marinas) es cada vez más popular. Con todo, también lleva aparejada una mayor demanda a fin mejorar su seguridad, servicios y precio. Las turbinas eólicas marinas presentan uniones adhesivas que tienen que remplazarse empleando la técnica de unión. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos ASSO desarrollará un estudio pormenorizado en el que probará y evaluará esta operación y la precisión de su cálculo numérico. También se propone crear un modelo mecánico no lineal innovador que permitirá evaluar el efecto del agua de mar y de otros factores físicos en el estado, el comportamiento y la capacidad de las uniones adhesivas. Este proyecto multidisciplinar incluirá pruebas experimentales, un modelo mecánico no lineal, análisis de elementos finitos, transferencia de conocimientos y formación.

Objetivo

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.