Advanced time history analysis of monopile and gravity-based foundations of offshore wind turbines under extreme loading conditions

Offshore wind turbines are progressively being deployed in deeper waters, with the current record being 120 m. The turbine-rated power is also on the rise, with capacities ranging from 3.6MW to an impressive 18MW. Concurrently, the size of wind farms is expanding, and the capacity from each of these farms is in the range of 1GW. This expansion is significantly contributing to the reduction of the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), which is crucial for the competitiveness of wind energy in relation to other energy sources and the reduction of subsidy dependency.

However, further advancements are needed to ensure the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of offshore wind energy. A key area of concern is the design of the wind turbine foundations. The current design is based on several conservative assumptions about the ground's ability to dissipate energy and alleviate the dynamic response due to wind and wave action. These assumptions, while simplifying the design process, may not accurately reflect the actual behaviour of the foundation and could potentially limit the efficiency of the system.

This PhD project aims to optimise the current design of offshore wind turbine foundations through advanced time history analysis of monopile and gravity-based foundations under extreme loading conditions. The focus will be on the conservative assumptions made regarding the energy dissipation capacity of the ground to mitigate the dynamic response induced by wind and waves. The study will seek to verify these assumptions and simplify the complexity of the associated computations and calculations. The outcomes of this research could potentially lead to more efficient designs, further reducing the LCOE and enhancing the competitiveness of offshore wind energy.

Open to any UK or international candidates. 

You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for our PhD programme.