Taisei uses DNV software solutions for offshore wind projects

Japanese EPCI contractor, Taisei Corporation, is using DNV’s software tools Sesam and Bladed for analysis of floating offshore wind turbine engineering.

Taisei Corporation is an EPCI contractor with a long history in Japan, having started in 1873, and incorporated in 1917.Recently, the company’s Design Section applied DNV software solutions, Sesam and Bladed, for the hydrodynamic analysis of floating offshore wind turbine foundations, along with ShellDesign. 

“We had been familiar with DNV for a long time as a historical classification society in Europe & Asia,” says Akira Ishikawa, a Manager of Taisei. “In the past, we have sometimes partly referred to the design standards issued by DNV in the design of the offshore structures we have carried out.” Taisei learned about the products at lectures and webinars offered by DNV, in addition to an International Energy Agency (IEA) validation project for offshore wind turbine analysis codes. 

Using the tools has made a significant difference in the analysis of offshore wind turbine engineering. With the combination of Sesam, Bladed and ShellDesign, it is now possible for Taisei to solve the entire process consistently for the floater structure made of reinforced concrete, such as, modelling, potential analysis, coupled load analysis and the floater’s ULS & FLS code check. 

Taisei is effectively adapting these softwares to implementing various analyses. “A full support system is provided by DNV’s technical support team, and our queries were answered without delay,” says Takanori Sato, a Manager of Taisei. “The workshop textbooks are well written and easy to review and the content of the manuals is comprehensive.” 

“The solution can be used in a consistent manner, so it is easy to use with no need to develop sub-tools, such as those required for other coupled load analysis software. The high operability of the graphical user interface made it easy to quickly become familiar with the software,” he says. “The proposed workflow is well illustrated, enabling the users to easily understand the whole engineering process, and the inclusion of several sample models helps build up own models.” 

“We are able to make improvements and optimizations to the design through many times of design iteration with Bladed and Sesam. We are able to solve the entire process from modelling to member verification, which substantially shortens work process time,” says Yuta Onishi, an Assistant Manager of Taisei. 

DNV provides the digital tools and guidance necessary for the development of safe, reliable and cost-competitive projects. With the DNV software packages for OWTs, the floater substructure can be modelled in Sesam, determining the hydrodynamic properties. In Bladed, a subsequent coupled analysis of the complete system of floater, mooring lines and wind turbine is performed. The output is then used in Sesam for analysis of the floater substructure, in Sima for mooring and cable design, while turbine design can be performed using Bladed. 

ShellDesign is a design tool and post-processor for reinforced concrete shell structures subjected to stresses in and out of plane. ShellDesign is the only software specifically developed for design of concrete fixed gravity-based structures (GBS) and floating platforms for offshore wind turbines. The concrete offshore structure software is based on extensive development and project experience accumulated through a large number of offshore concrete projects of all sizes, both offshore and inshore. 

ABOUT TAISEI CORPORATION

Since 1873, the EPCI contractor Taisei Corporation has undertaken a number of construction projects in the midst of social transition, such as Japan’s modernization, post-war reconstruction, economic growth, and globalization. While developing safe, secure and attractive communities, and social infrastructure, the companyhas contributed to the recovery and reconstruction of the communities and social infrastructure in the aftermath of large scale natural disasters. Today, the company operates globally with a presence in a dozen overseas locations. The company’s vision is to ‘create a vibrant environment for all members of society.’ Taisei is accelerating sustainable development initiatives towards carbon neutrality by 2050, striving to be a front-runner in the environmental sector.

PROFILE

• Customer name: Taisei Corporation
• Website: https://www.taisei.co.jp/english/
• Market: EPCI Contractor
• Users: Offshore Wind Power Design Section, Design Department, Civil Engineering Division
• Solution/ products: Sesam, Bladed, ShellDesign

BRIEF ACCOUNT

Why we chose DNV:

• DNV has extensive experience in technology development
• Superior software features
• Excellent support system

This is what we gained:

• Tools for efficient and rapid design
• Time reduction by using the software means efficient analysis, which has helped us spend more time on designing
• Excellent support by DNV