Fatigue Life of Wind Turbine Tower Bases throughout Colorado
Publication: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 29, Issue 4
Abstract
Throughout the U.S., there has been a dramatic increase in the installation of wind turbines, which and are now producing a notable portion of renewable energy. The tower base experiences large stress reversals as a result of wind loading and can be subjected to fatigue failure if not properly designed. In this study, fatigue life estimates for wind turbine tower bases throughout Colorado are investigated and the effects of wind distribution and turbulence intensity of those estimates are discussed. The concept of performance-based design (PBD) is applied to optimize the tower base design parameters such that the desired fatigue life is achieved with a minimum amount of steel used in the design. It is concluded that the application of PBD may substantially reduce the initial cost of wind turbine startup, i.e., design and construction, thereby reducing the cost of wind power.
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Acknowledgments
This work was partially funded by the Vietnam International Education Development—Ministry of Education & Training (VIED-MOET) Fellowship to the first author. Partial funding was also provided by the George T. Abell Professorship at Colorado State University.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 29 • Issue 4 • August 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 17, 2013
Accepted: Mar 18, 2014
Published online: Mar 20, 2014
Discussion open until: Jan 28, 2015
Published in print: Aug 1, 2015
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