FEM-DEM Study of Cyclic Behaviour of Monopiles for Offshore Wind Turbines
FEM-DEM Study of Cyclic Behaviour of Monopiles for Offshore Wind Turbines
Offshore wind energy plays an important role in the transition to clean energy. Monopiles are the most commonly used foundation for supporting offshore wind turbines. They are subjected to cyclic loading due to waves, currents, and winds during the operational lifetime. Simulation of the cyclic behaviour of monopile is thus crucial for predicting its operational performance and longevity. This study uses the coupled Finite Element Method-Discrete Element Method (FEM-DEM) approach to give a preliminary investigation into the soil-monopile interaction under cyclic loading. The results show that the FEM-DEM method effectively captured the cyclic response, including the non-linear force-displacement relationship and the hysteric behaviour during cyclic loading. In addition, microscopic insights into coordination number and contact normal vector distribution reveal that the contact number and principal contact orientation evolve cyclically in response to repeated loading.
Aoxi Zhang; Cyrille Couture; Frederic Collin
5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics (ISFOG2025)
9 - Monopile design to cyclic loads: quasi-static, dynamic and seismic loads
https://doi.org/10.53243/ISFOG2025-309
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