Experimental study of dynamic characteristics of an ultra-large jacket offshore wind turbine under wind and wave loads using aero-hydro-structural elastic similarities

Owing to the difficulties in the scaled rotor-nacelle assembly (RNA) and support structure design, and alleviation of small scaling effects, the limited dynamic model tests are conducted for the jacket offshore wind turbines (OWTs), which are extensively constructed in the offshore wind farms located in the depth of 40–50 m. To address this limitation, an integrated test method based on aero-hydro-structural elastic similarities is proposed in this study. It comprises a performance-scaled RNA model and a scaled support structure model. A redesigned blade model is adopted in the scaled RNA model to ensure the similarities of aerodynamic thrust loads without modifications of the scaled test winds. Moreover, auxiliary scaled drivetrain and blade pitch control are designed to simulate the operational states of a practical OWT. The scaled model of the OWT support structure is fabricated based on the joint hydro-structural elastic similarity, and the small scaling effects are mitigated by introducing sectional bending stiffness similarities. Subsequently, the dynamic model tests of an ultra-large jacket OWT under wind-only, wave-only, and combined wind and wave conditions are carried out. The accuracy of the fabricated OWT test model is validated based on the recorded responses, and the influence of the dominant frequencies on the dynamic responses of the OWT model is quantitatively evaluated using the wavelet packet-based energy analysis method. Further, the coupling mechanisms of the scaled OWT model under typical wind and wave loads are investigated, and the interactions between the environmental loads and OWT motions are proved.