Influence of Simplified Models on Seismic Response Analysis of Wind Turbine Towers

Abstract. The dynamic response of wind turbine tower under earthquake is analyzed by aid of the ANSYS program in this paper. To investigate the effects of simplification calculation models of blades and engines on calculation results, a blades-tower integrated finite element (FE) model and a mass-tower finite element (FE) model are established respectively. Then model analysis is discussed and the time history analysis of the system under the input of mean value earthquake record is carried out. The results show that seismic responses of a wind turbine tower are remarkable and seismic action may be the dominant factor in the design of wind turbine towers that located at a seismically active zone. Torsion effect of a tower is evident as a result of the impact of mass eccentricity. Bottom stress at the direction perpendicular to seismic waves is much bigger than that along it. It is also found that the blades-tower integrated finite element model can reflect more accurately the dynamic responses of the tower in the whole process of the earthquake and the “time-lag” effect by comparison, and these provide reliable reference to design and further research of towers.