Stochastic Analysis of Wind Turbine Towers with Lumped Mass Effect at the Top on a Flexible Foundation

Abstract

A wind turbine is an example of multidisciplinary engineering fields. In order to construct high efficient and resistant turbines, preliminary analysis are necessary in several different fields. The most obviously needed investigation is the fluid-structure interaction but a correct analysis of the soil characteristics is also important. Turbines are subjected to wind and sea wave loadings, both random.
So, it makes sense to design the structures using a random approach in order to associate to the structure a probability of failure. In this paper, the characterization of the dynamic behavior of a specific type of those structures are presented and discussed, considering the free vibration analysis (modal analysis), incorporating lumped mass and foundation effects. The analysis is made using both variational and strong formulations. In both approaches, some specific properties are chosen as random. Monte Carlo and collocation methods are used as the base to check out the effectiveness of the Finite Element algorithm.