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APRIL/MAY 2013 | 5.25

mETmaSTS FEaTUrE

mETmaSTS FEaTUrE

OFFsHORE METEOROLOGICAL sTATIONs A HIDDEN CHALLENGE

BEsT IN CLAss ACCOUNTING FOR A sMALL PROPORTION OF INVEsTMENT AND EFFORT sPENT ON A PROJECT, THE METEOROLOGICAL sTATION Is EAsILY OVERLOOKED. BUT DEsIGNING AND INsTALLING A MET MAsT DEMANDs A HIGHLY INTEGRATED APPROACH AND UNDERsTANDING OF THE COMPLEX sTRUCTURAL DEsIGN. FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT TEAMs IT CAPTUREs MANY OF THE CHALLENGEs ENCOUNTERED IN DEVELOPING THE PROJECT. CAPITAL RIsK
The mast, which can cost anything between 4 and 10 million, is normally installed before the project has reached the financing milestone of full planning consent. This timing means that the installation happens before financial close, putting the developers capital at risk if consent is refused. For example, Cirrus Shell Flat wind farm development was shelved in 2008, six years after a met mast was installed. Although they are not the only means of understanding the wind speed at a site, the consensus view is that a mast is the best option for decreasing the uncertainty in wind speed predictions. The figure below shows possible measurement alternatives and how the uncertainty levels compare.

ALL AbOUT THE DATA

When tackling the tricky early demands of the project, it might be easy to forget that what really matters is the data coming from a few fragile instruments mounted on the mast. Getting the specifications and detailed mounting arrangements right is crucial. At GL Garrad Hassan we have analysed data from a large number of offshore masts and found examples where this part of the design process has not been given sufficient attention. Some masts have delivered data which failed to follow best measurement practice, thereby impacting project profitability. In delivering on the hard part of the meteorological mast, they failed to deliver on what is sometimes perceived to be the easy part. Data must also be complete and reliable. Probably the most common cause of data gaps are issues relating to the supply of power to the instruments. Delivering a reliable power supply solution is always worthwhile.

GIVEN ALL THIs, wHY bOTHER wITH A MAsT IN THE FIRsT PLACE?

Met masts are installed early in the project development phase, with the objective of taking accurate wind measurements in order to increase confidence in the wind speed predictions. The measured data alone gives an improved understanding of the sites wind regime. But the value of the data can be increased by comparing them to measurements made over a much longer time period at a weather station nearby. The process known as measurecorrelate-predict involves identifying correlations between the long-term data and the measured on-site data. In essence, understanding the correlation enables synthesis of the long term record for the specific site effectively providing a statistical view of wind speed over a much longer time span. Ultimately, the technique increases the certainty of wind speed predictions, and by inference, power production, over the life of the project. The highest possible level of certainty about wind farm production is an important element of securing finance at the best available terms, a potent driver of the cost of energy.

To date, several different foundations have been installed to support masts, including: monopiles, jackets, suction buckets and the Keystone twisted jacket. There are many factors that influence the selection of foundation solutions, but the largest cost is that of installation. To keep costs as low, a flexible approach to installation vessel options is essential to securing competitive charter rates. The offshore environment is an onerous one and the mast and foundation must be designed for these conditions. Industry concerns have been raised about the durability of met masts offshore. The lattice towers must also be checked for loads resulting from the foundation oscillating due to wave action. These oscillations induce a cyclic load effect in the lattice, causing fatigue to its joints and members. These fatigue loads can be significant and must be assessed during the design stage by using an integrated design process.

FOUNDATION OPTIONs

AN OPPORTUNITY

STRUCTURAL DEsIGN CHALLENGEs

It is tempting to assume that the met mast structure is fairly simple, especially when compared to a highly dynamic wind turbine. While this might be true to some extent, the masts offshore foundation is not a static structure and dynamic loads need to be considered. Lattice towers and their foundations must be robust enough to withstand the wind and waves at the site without comprising the quality of wind measurements.

Integrated model above

INTEGRATION

Integrated design is as essential for offshore meteorological masts as it is for wind turbine structures. GL Garrad Hassan have performed assessments of offshore towers and foundations using the bladed fully dynamic simulation programme, the results of which have established the importance of damping, the systems resistance to oscillation. The level of damping used in the integrated analysis is critical to accurate calculation of the fatigue loads in the mast and foundation. Damping sources are described in the equations below:

Savvy developers are starting to understand how challenging offshore meteorological masts can be, but also how crucial the data is to project profitability. They also recognise that many of the issues encountered in their design and installation mirror future challenges that projects will face. Investing the time and money needed to build a team with the competencies to overcome these challenges should be a priority for all developers. GL Garrad Hassan www.gl-garradhassan.com

GL Garrad Hassan found that omitting the aerodynamic damping component in the integrated analysis can overestimate fatigue loads in the mast by up to 30%.

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