2023 Volume 79 Issue 18 Article ID: 23-18010
Suction bucket foundations for bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines are a form of foundation that is expected to reduce construction costs. While cost reduction is required in future offshore wind power development, there is an urgent need to develop technology for foundations that can support large wind turbines. For large wind turbines, a structural type supported by a multi-legged foundation is considered to be effective. As the legs of multi-legged foundations are relatively close to each other, there is concern about mutual interference with scouring phenomena. On the other hand, the rock bag protection method is well known as a scour prevention method. In this study, the characteristics of scouring phenomena for various types of foundation structures, including the suction bucket type, were determined. The bottom velocity around the foundation was determined by numerical analysis, and it was suggested that the scouring area could be estimated from the bottom velocity ratio around the foundation. Furthermore, the effectiveness of scour prevention works for the suction bucket type was confirmed, and cost reductions were expected due to a reduction in the number of prevention works installed.
