Anchor geotechnics for floating offshore wind: current technologies and future innovations
Anchor geotechnics for floating offshore wind: current technologies and future innovations
A rapid expansion of the anchor market is required to meet the increasing demand for floating offshore wind. This paper, which is aimed at a broad readership within and beyond geotechnical engineering, summarises the current state-of-the-art and discusses future developments of anchor types and geotechnical design methods. Current anchor technologies are presented via comparative analytical assessments of performance across a range of practical scales and seabed conditions. This analysis demonstrates the relative merits and performance of different anchor types, using simplified cost-performance indicators for each anchor technology. An example outcome is the large differences in anchor efficiency (capacity per unit weight), that are linked to the different ways anchors achieve their holding capacity. Potential improvements in the performance-cost response for each anchor type, through future enhancements, are then explored. These enhancements are categorised as (1) unlocking higher anchor performance through improved design methods with a better understanding of the geotechnical response, (2) upscaling or (3) commoditising of the anchor type, by making larger versions or enabling more efficient mass production and installation, or (4) invention of new anchor technologies. Finally, findings of the different sections are summarised within a single table to enable a quick selection of anchoring solutions.
anchoring, floating offshore wind, foundation, innovation
Cerfontaine, Benjamin
0730daf4-9d6b-4f2d-a848-a3fc54505a02
White, David
a986033d-d26d-4419-a3f3-20dc54efce93
Kwa, Katherine
18faee0d-75d9-4683-a2c8-604625eecbb0
Gourvenec, Susan
6ff91ad8-1a91-42fe-a3f4-1b5d6f5ce0b8
Knappett, Jonathan
cda30027-553d-4310-8a05-e48d8989a545
Brown, Michael
ed21a8f3-1420-4900-8f5f-00f0202e5ce8
1 July 2023
Cerfontaine, Benjamin
0730daf4-9d6b-4f2d-a848-a3fc54505a02
White, David
a986033d-d26d-4419-a3f3-20dc54efce93
Kwa, Katherine
18faee0d-75d9-4683-a2c8-604625eecbb0
Gourvenec, Susan
6ff91ad8-1a91-42fe-a3f4-1b5d6f5ce0b8
Knappett, Jonathan
cda30027-553d-4310-8a05-e48d8989a545
Brown, Michael
ed21a8f3-1420-4900-8f5f-00f0202e5ce8
Cerfontaine, Benjamin, White, David, Kwa, Katherine, Gourvenec, Susan, Knappett, Jonathan and Brown, Michael
(2023)
Anchor geotechnics for floating offshore wind: current technologies and future innovations.
Ocean Engineering, 279, [114327].
(doi:10.1016/j.oceaneng.2023.114327).
Abstract
A rapid expansion of the anchor market is required to meet the increasing demand for floating offshore wind. This paper, which is aimed at a broad readership within and beyond geotechnical engineering, summarises the current state-of-the-art and discusses future developments of anchor types and geotechnical design methods. Current anchor technologies are presented via comparative analytical assessments of performance across a range of practical scales and seabed conditions. This analysis demonstrates the relative merits and performance of different anchor types, using simplified cost-performance indicators for each anchor technology. An example outcome is the large differences in anchor efficiency (capacity per unit weight), that are linked to the different ways anchors achieve their holding capacity. Potential improvements in the performance-cost response for each anchor type, through future enhancements, are then explored. These enhancements are categorised as (1) unlocking higher anchor performance through improved design methods with a better understanding of the geotechnical response, (2) upscaling or (3) commoditising of the anchor type, by making larger versions or enabling more efficient mass production and installation, or (4) invention of new anchor technologies. Finally, findings of the different sections are summarised within a single table to enable a quick selection of anchoring solutions.
Text
OE_Cerfontaine_2023_Review
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 23 March 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 2 May 2023
Published date: 1 July 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The authors acknowledge financial support from the EPSRC Offshore Renewable Energy Supergen Hub (Grant EPSRC EP /S000747/1), via the core research programme and also the flex fund project SEAMLESS, led by the first author. Susan Gourvenec is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering through the Chairs in Emerging Technologies scheme.
We would like to thank the following for their assistance and input Marius Ottolini, Marco Huisman, François Bertrand, Adam Wise and Yaseen Sharif. The authors acknowledge financial support from the EPSRC Offshore Renewable Energy Supergen Hub (Grant EPSRC EP/S000747/1), via the core research programme and also the flex fund project SEAMLESS, led by the first author. Susan Gourvenec is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering through the Chairs in Emerging Technologies scheme.
Keywords:
anchoring, floating offshore wind, foundation, innovation
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 476898
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/476898
ISSN: 0029-8018
PURE UUID: d6ddac30-afe2-44d3-8c77-78f78d1f0fb7
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 18 May 2023 17:02
Last modified: 24 Apr 2024 02:00
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Jonathan Knappett
Author:
Michael Brown
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics
