Brian Roberts, ODE FEED Manager

Wangwen Zhao, ODE Chief Structural

Offshore
Wind
Engineer

Engineering - Wind
Offshore Wind Farms
Turbine Selection
Substructure definition
Electrical Definition
Cable Design
Shore Approach
Transformer Platform
Installation methods
Cost Estimate
Project Schedule
Contract & specification preparation

Overview of Offshore Foundations

Comparative Assessment
Assess structural integrity
Scoring system :
Design/Plan Risk
Fabrication Risk
Installation Risk
OPEX Risk
Other Risks

30%
30%
30%
5%
5%
100%

Options Selection

Options Selection: Gravity Base

Factors in Favour
Common in Oil & Gas, [less so wind], but has track record
Structurally sound

Factors Against
Ground not suitable due to large ratio of overturning
moment to vertical self weight.
Use of ballast to increase weight and stability might lead to
uneven settlements out of tolerance with requirements.
Large infrastructure set up cost

Options Selection: Monopile

Factors in Favour
Most common foundation used in wind to date
Installation well understood
Lower fabrication and Installation Costs

Factors Against
On the limit of fabrication and installation abilities at
shallower end of water depth due to high wind loading.
Probably impossible at deeper end of farm. Not suitable for
these water depths and soil conditions.
Specialist hammers may need to be procured from Europe
increasing cost
Installation Noise
7

OWF Monopile Use

Scroby Sands
30 x MW WTG
Integral flange on monopile

Options Selection: Tripod

Factors in Favour
European design, proven technology
Factors Against
Much larger brace members required than in the
sketch
Heavy welds on brace/leg intersection
Leg brace and intersections in shallow water
would be directly in splash zone causing
increased wave loads and design requirements.
Design is difficult for access and egress <22m.
Capex over run concerns from some past projects
in Europe.
9

Options Selection: Jackets

There are many different Jacket / lattice
foundations options and variants

10

Options Selection:
Jacket Pile through Legs

Factors in Favour
Conventional Gulf of Mexico design,
proven methodology

Factors Against
Difficult to install together with the
transition piece
Long piles
Mudmats required
Can be heavier than pre-piled jacket

11

Options Selection: Jacket Skirt Pile

Factors in Favour
Conventional Oil and Gas design,
proven methodology
Overall pile lengths reduced

Factors Against
Mudmats and extraneous sleeve
support structure not required after
installation
Relies on the integrity of the connection to remain safe
during life

12

Options Selection: Jacket Preinstalled Piles

Factors in Favor
Used in several European offshore
wind project
Cost saving in installation with multiple
foundations
Cost optimisation from separate activity
scheduling

Factors Against
Savings on extraneous items not used after
installation.
Inspection required for setting shimming level to
prevent tilting

13

Foundation Installation

14

Delivering Foundations that Work

15

Delivering Offshore Sub-stations

16

Options Selection:
Jacket With Suction Caissons

Factors in Favour
Installation cost saving
Used in oil & gas
Factors in Against
Novel approach
Some difficulty possible in
ensuring the caissons are installed
in required positions
Suction insertion may not be possible
Depends on soil conditions and water depth

17

Innovation - Transition Piece

Critical component of the wind turbine structure
Main load transfer from the turbine tower to the jacket
substructure below
The integrity and cost of the transition section is critical
to the whole design
Foundations can account for 25% of the overall cost
ODE has designed several transition pieces concepts
from which two have the potential to reduce the cost of
wind turbines support structures
Plated Transition Piece
Conical Transition Piece
18

Innovation ODE 1 Plated

Transition Piece
Plated Transition Piece
Easy fabrication
Relative light weight
High fatigue strength from reduced
stress due to a combination of:
Simple load transfer
stress relieving wing detail
Reduced Capex cost

19

Figuratively representative
transition piece, patent
applied

Innovation - Plated Transition Piece

Connected to the conventional jacket structure
Similar diameter to the tower base and the two
sections will be connected via a bolted flange
plate
Welded to top of jacket
Access into the lower section of the transition
piece possible
Leg spacing greater than previous designs, loads
transmitted via simple plates
Loads are less as spacing of legs gives greater
lever arm

VIDEO
20

Foundation and TP Combinations

Piling

All of the structures involve piling, securing the

foundation to the sea bed for structural stability
Single pin piles will be adopted for the jacket
Ground conditions are considered to be good for
piling.
The only variant being in the installation of these
Adoption of a pre piled philosophy or a post piled
philosophy

21

Ormonde: Jackets
30 x 5MW WTG
1 x Substation Platform
Conceptual Design
FEED
SSP Jacket & Deck Design
Project Management
Services

22

Ormonde Jacket Foundations

23

Ormonde - Installed

24

Substation Platform Design

Design for safe operation
considered from outset
Design for ease of installation
and low maintenance

25

Detailed Structural Design

Gwynt Y Mr OSS

26

Substation Platform Jackets

Substation Jackets
(Typical)

Water Depth 30m (typical)

4 legs, through leg piling
Topsides weight 1800Te
(typical)
Jacket weights 800Te
(typical)
Pile weight 400Te (typical)

27

Ormonde
Greater Gabbard
Gwynt-Y-Mor
UK Offshore
ODE Responsibility
Detailed Design
Fabrication Support

Offshore Sub-Station
Self Installing Substation
MOAB Type - Self-Installing
Capacity Solution to 800 MW

28

Foundation Installation 2010

29

Typical MTO Jacket

30

Typical MTO ODE Transition piece

31

Typical MTO A typical OSS Jacket

32

Typical MTO A typical OSS Jacket

33

34

Typical MTO A typical Jacket

35

Typical MTO A typical Jacket

36