Aeroelasticity, Hydroelasticity and Foundation Modelling in Offshore Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines: A Review of the State of the Art

The trend in offshore horizontal axis wind turbines to produce even-more-powerful machines has resulted in larger and more flexible structural components for these huge rotating machines. Prior to entering service, they are often subjected to strenuous logistical and construction conditions during their installation in harsh environments in the coastal areas of open seas; these large flexible structures must withstand aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, gravitational, and geotechnical loads while in service. In this chapter, the most important concerns related to the structural dynamics of offshore wind turbines, including aeroelasticity, hydroelasticity, soil-pile interaction, and mooring line-floater interaction, are addressed and a state-of-the-art review is presented.