Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences

First Advisor

Robert J. Weaver

Second Advisor

Chungkuk Jin

Third Advisor

Kelli Z. Hunsucker

Fourth Advisor

Richard B. Aronson

Abstract

Monopiles are used in the construction of offshore wind turbines and typically have a design life of 25 to 50 years. Over their lifecycle, monopiles are exposed to a corrosive saltwater environment, facilitating a galvanic oxidation process that quickly degrades the structure. This process can be mitigated by coating the monopile in a protective barrier and implementing cathodic protection techniques. Historically, monopile designers assumed the interior of the pile would be completely sealed and the galvanic corrosion process would eventually consume all the available oxygen, halting the reaction. However, penetrations made in the pile wall for conduit often leaked and allowed fresh, oxygenated water to enter the interior space. New monopile designs are being researchresearched that reconsider the interior space as an oxygenated environment where standard corrosion protection techniques can be more effectively applied. These new monopiles have perforations through the wall at an intertidalintertidal or subtidal levels to allow fresh, oxygenated water to flow through the structure. These perforations can also reduce wave loads on the structure. The magnitude of the hydrodynamic load reduction depends on the size and orientation of the perforations. This research studied the applicability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in analysis of force reduction on monopiles in relation to size of a perforation and to analyze the effect of variation in approach angle of a given wave. To determine the force reduction on the monopile, theoretical 3D models were produced and tested using FLOW-3D® HYDRO with an unperforated monopile used as the control. After the theoretical data was collected, physical scale models with the same variety of perforations were tested using a wave tank to determine the validity of the theoretical models. [RW1] [MW2] The CFD simulations were found to be within 10% of the physical models and within 5% of previous research. After the physical and simulated models were validated, it was found that the size of the perforations has a distinct impact on the wave load reduction and testing for differing approach angles of a given wave could be conducted. The variation in approach angle was simulated by rotating the monopile in 15° increments. The data presented in this paper suggests that the orientation of the monopile is not statistically significant and should not be a design consideration for perforated monopiles. It is also suggested to continue the study on the size and shape of the perforations to find the balance between wave load reduction and structural stability.

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