EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/N04614/01
Title: SAFE AND COST-EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE ACCESS TO OFFSHORE WIND FARMS
Principal Investigator: Day, Professor AS
Other Investigators:
Barltrop, Professor N
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Atkins Border Wind Ltd National Wind Power Ltd (Innogy PLC)
NEG Micon
Department: Naval Architecture & Marine Eng
Organisation: University of Glasgow
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 21 August 2000 Ends: 20 February 2003 Value (£): 79,950
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Wind Power
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Energy
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
One of the challenges facing the operators of wind farms as they move from land-based to offshore systems is the year-round maintenance of the turbines in a potentially hostile and remote environment. Issues to be addressed include the choice of support vessel, the system of access to the turbines and the operational procedures and environmental limits; these will be affected by the size and location of the offshore wind farm, the maintenance requirements of the wind turbines, and the number and location of the maintenance personnel.This study is intended to provide the technical basis to allow operators to devise strategies which will allow safe and cost-effective maintenance of offshore wind farms. The study will include reviews of historical data for wind turbine maintenance requirements, and of personnel transfer procedures in coastal waters to establish operational limits, first-principles calculations of support vessel motions, and estimation of wave data in the region of the turbine. These elements will be combined to simulate the maintenance of offshore wind farms, allowing the assessment of the impact of procedures and strategies on system operability and downtime. A series of case studies will be examined, and guidelines for selection of maintenance strategies will be developed.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.gla.ac.uk