DNV GL has announced three new joint industry projects (JIPs) aimed at developing recommended practices to further lower risks and reduce costs for the global wind industry.
‘DNV GL has a long tradition of innovation and invests five percent of its revenue each year in codes and standards and long-term cutting-edge projects,’ explains Kim Mork, DNV GL's executive vice president of renewables certification. ‘As a part of this, we initiate joint industry projects where we team up with key external stakeholders to develop technical solutions for the industry. JIPs are partly financed by the participants and are a vehicle to drive the business forward meeting expressed needs. Key to our success with the JIP concept is that we publish the technical outcome through industry standards and recommended practices.’
The new JIPs include the following:
1. Coupled dynamic analysis of floating wind turbines.
DNV GL says floating wind turbines provide an opportunity to globalize offshore wind as a technology in a wide range of international markets. The aim of this JIP is to gain a deeper understanding of the coupled dynamic analysis of floating wind turbines and develop recommendations to effectively guide designers and engineers. The project is scheduled to start in the second half of this year, with final review and publication of recommended practices in the first half of 2017. DNV GL expects a total of eight to 12 participating companies.
2. Validation of turbulence models.
DNV GL says it sees large variations in the predicted loads for wind turbines and wind farms experienced throughout their operational life due to variations in wind speed (turbulence). Even though some parameters relating to turbulence are standardized, a number of different methods can be applied, leading to differences of up to 20-30% on the final prediction of loads. The aim of this JIP is to gain a deeper understanding of which turbulence methods should be used under which circumstances. The project is scheduled to start in the second half of this year, with final review and publication of recommended practices in the first quarter of 2017. DNV GL expects a total of 15 to 20 participating companies.
3. Integrated approach to design, installation and maintenance of heavy-duty bolted joints.
DNV GL says bolted joints are often the weak link in the design of wind turbine structures, and in some cases, their strength may even limit the design options for the components they join together. Significant cost and material savings could be achieved through optimizing structural bolted joints by employing more ambitious design philosophies than traditional approaches, the company adds. The aim of this JIP is to enable wind turbine designers to further optimize the structural bolted joints and, thus, the dimensions and weights of the joined parts, while lowering the risk of damage in the field. It will also enable wind farm operators to reduce costs related to inspection, corrosion protection and retightening of bolted joints – which make up a major part of the operating expenses, especially offshore. The project is scheduled to start this fall and is planned to run until the end of 2016. DNV GL expects a total of six to 10 participating companies.
