EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE LOADING AND SCOUR OF THE JACKET TYPE OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE FOUNDATION

Abstract

A 1:36 scale model tests were carried out in the Medium Wave Flume (MWF) and Near-shore Wave Basin (NSWB) at the Tainan Hydraulics Laboratory (THL) with the jacket type offshore wind turbine foundation located in the test area. The loading of typhoon wave with current on the jacket type offshore wind turbine foundation was investigated in the MWF with fixed bed experiment. Meanwhile, the scour around the jacket type offshore wind turbine foundation exposed to wave and current was conducted in the NSWB with the moveable bed experiment. Two locations (water depth 12m and 16m) of the foundations are separately simulated in this study. Based on the analysis from the former NSWB experimental results, the suitable scour protection of a four-layer work around the foundation is also proposed to the impact of scour. Finally, a four-layer scour protection is tested and found to be effective in preventing scour around jacket type foundation of offshore wind turbines at water depth 12m and 16m.