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Scour Protection Measures for Offshore Wind Turbines: A Systematic Literature Review on Recent Developments

Author

Listed:
  • Wenhui Wei

    (UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, UCD School of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

  • Abdollah Malekjafarian

    (Structural Dynamics and Assessment Laboratory, School of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

  • M. Salauddin

    (UCD Dooge Centre for Water Resources Research, UCD School of Civil Engineering, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland)

Abstract

Offshore wind energy is considered as one of the most promising resources of clean and renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. Additionally, its cost is expected to be lower than onshore wind energy as the technology matures. Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) normally operate in harsh ocean environments, which could impact their structural integrity. Scour erosion around foundations of OWTs can substantially change the overall stiffness of these structures and shorten their lifetime. Currently, there are a limited number of studies on countermeasures and their engineering requirements for decreasing the scouring effect; this is due to their different hydraulic circumstances, such as their stability, reliability, and resistance capacity. To this end, advancements in scour protection measures in the offshore energy sector are evaluated in this paper through a thorough and critical review following the PRISMA systematic literature mapping approach. This includes 68 papers on scour protection and over 30 scour protection designs for various types of wind turbine foundations. Here, we aim to provide an overview of the latest scouring protection measures and their comprehensive assessment, as well as their prospects and future challenges. The findings of this study will provide key insights into scour protection measures for OWTs and will subsequently contribute to the future growth of the offshore renewable energy sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenhui Wei & Abdollah Malekjafarian & M. Salauddin, 2024. "Scour Protection Measures for Offshore Wind Turbines: A Systematic Literature Review on Recent Developments," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-27, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:17:y:2024:i:5:p:1068-:d:1344748
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Carlos Emilio Arboleda Chavez & Vasiliki Stratigaki & Minghao Wu & Peter Troch & Alexander Schendel & Mario Welzel & Raúl Villanueva & Torsten Schlurmann & Leen De Vos & Dogan Kisacik & Francisco Tave, 2019. "Large-Scale Experiments to Improve Monopile Scour Protection Design Adapted to Climate Change—The PROTEUS Project," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-25, May.
    2. Philippe Le Billon & Païvi Lujala & Devyani Singh & Vance Culbert & Berit Kristoffersen, 2021. "Fossil fuels, climate change, and the COVID-19 crisis: pathways for a just and green post-pandemic recovery," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(10), pages 1347-1356, November.
    3. Koh, J.H. & Ng, E.Y.K., 2016. "Downwind offshore wind turbines: Opportunities, trends and technical challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 797-808.
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