Power generation by offshore wind turbines: An overview on recent research and developments

Abstract

-Wind energy is one of the most sustainable and renewable resources of power generation. Offshore Wind Turbines (OWTs) derive significant wind energy compared to onshore installations. With the established phenomena that the wind speed has been high and consistent in offshore regions, the OWTs are likely to generate more electricity compared to the onshore ones. Design and installation of OWTs require sophisticated technology due to critical ocean environment to meet the safety and serviceability criteria. This necessitates in-depth understanding of power efficiency, mechanical operations and dynamic force distributions, together with the structural and foundation stabilities. This paper presents an intensive review of the existing knowledge on each of these diversified study areas. It is observed the subject is still under development with a significant number of unsolved problems. A critical analysis and the research directions on the relevant investigations have also been included in the paper.