Offshore Wind Turbine Blade Life Prediction via Fatigue Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is no technology to predict and monitor the remaining useful life of an offshore wind turbine generator and the stability of a hydrogen tank, requiring manual observation which is inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
An offshore wind power-based water electrolysis system that includes a system maintenance and management apparatus to calculate and notify the remaining useful life of blades in the offshore wind turbine generator through debonding damage simulation, fatigue crack growth simulation, and remaining useful life simulation, and to determine and notify stability through finite element analysis for each hydrogen tank.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual observation is used to monitor offshore wind turbine generator and hydrogen tank conditions, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and operational efficiency deteriorate due to inconvenient manual checking requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-monitoring through integrated sensors that automatically detect blade crack lengths, hydrogen tank stability parameters, and other critical conditions without requiring manual inspection. The debonding damage simulation and fatigue crack growth simulation components enable the system to self-assess its remaining useful life and structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical inspection is replaced with computational simulations and digital modeling. The finite element analysis substitutes physical tank inspection with virtual stress distribution analysis, while the crack detection system replaces visual inspection with automated imaging and processing.
2Reliability
If continuous monitoring systems are implemented to track remaining useful life and stability, then reliability and measurement precision improve, but device complexity and loss of time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessments through debonding damage simulation and fatigue crack growth simulation to predict future conditions before failures occur. By calculating remaining useful life in advance and identifying potential issues beforehand, the system enables proactive maintenance scheduling that improves reliability without requiring continuous complex monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where sensor data on actual crack lengths and tank stability is continuously compared with simulation predictions. This feedback loop allows the system to adjust maintenance schedules and alerts based on actual condition progression, improving reliability through adaptive monitoring rather than rigid continuous observation.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive simulation and analysis systems are deployed to predict remaining useful life and determine stability, then measurement precision and reliability improve, but loss of time and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial simulations targeted at specific critical components and failure modes rather than comprehensive analysis of all system elements. By focusing debonding damage simulation on blade-root joints and fatigue analysis on critical crack initiation points, the system achieves high measurement precision for the most important parameters without the time cost of analyzing every component uniformly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easier prediction and monitoring of the remaining useful life of the offshore wind turbine generator and the stability of the hydrogen tank, improving operational efficiency and reducing manual observation requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a water electrolysis facility installed offshore to produce hydrogen by electrolysis of water using the electricity
Implementation Method 2
predicts the crack growth for each crack initiation location and load through an interfacial fracture toughness based analytic modeling technique
Implementation Method 3
predict fatigue crack propagation characteristics with at least one input of fatigue crack propagation characteristics and physical numerical analysis condition, fatigue load data and waveform
Implementation Method 4
perform the remaining useful life simulation to analyze buckling characteristics for each blade model based on the debonding damage simulation results and the fatigue crack growth simulation results
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore wind power-based water electrolysis system includes an offshore wind turbine generator installed offshore to produce electricity using offshore wind energy, a water electrolysis facility installed offshore to produce hydrogen by electrolysis of water using the electricity, a hydrogen maritime transport apparatus to transport the hydrogen produced through the water electrolysis facility to onshore, a hydrogen above-ground storage facility installed on ground to store the transported hydrogen and dispense the hydrogen to ground transport apparatuses, and a system maintenance and management apparatus to calculate and notify a remaining useful life of blades in the offshore wind turbine generator by performing debonding damage simulation, fatigue crack growth simulation and remaining useful life simulation of the blades in a sequential order, and determine and notify stability through finite element analysis for each hydrogen tank in the hydrogen maritime transport apparatus and the hydrogen above-ground storage facility.