Site-specific mechanical load assessment for wind turbines
DNV's site-specific mechanical load assessment (MLA) delivers proof of wind turbine structural integrity and onshore and offshore site suitability.
When selecting a wind turbine, developers have to check that its structural integrity is sufficient for the specific wind farm location. Financiers also need this analysis to release capital for new projects. This means turbine manufacturers must prove their turbine designs adhere to the claimed specifications, to ensure prospective customers can have confidence in the solution’s robustness and suitability. Independent assessment by professionals who treat analysis and confidentiality with equal respect gives you this proof.
MLA delivers everything
Our site-specific mechanical load assessment (MLA) service delivers everything needed to satisfy all parties. We check that the turbine’s structural integrity is suitable over the project lifetime. The fatigue and extreme loads that the turbine will experience are calculated, taking into account all the local site conditions, including:
- Wind and temperature climates
- Terrain complexity
- Extreme weather phenomena
- Earthquake impact by computing seismic loading on the machines
We also consider how the turbines will affect each other in terms of wake effects, running a range of wake models which account for that loading mechanism. Our industry-leading Bladed software allows us to perform an integrated model of the turbine and substructure. We can also link to other DNV software, including Sesam, and third party offshore structural design tools, such as SACS and ASAS.
Single model database
You can also opt to utilize a separate sub-service. For any turbine model, we develop a comprehensive database of loads which considers a wide range of site condition parameters. We perform many thousands of simulations to populate the database covering air density, wind shear, turbulence, wind speed, and so on. Once the database is created, you can automatically calculate the loads at any site for that turbine model, based on the local conditions.
Treating data with the strictest confidence
Confidentiality and data exchange is a significant issue. As an independent third party, we work closely with manufacturers to develop the mathematical models we want to run. We can then deliver the results to the owner/operator/developer. However, we fully appreciate the commercial sensitivity of turbine data required to do the analysis. Therefore we have robust and effective means in place to protect manufacturer’s data, whilst providing accurate results to project owners.
Assisting you anywhere in the world
Our local teams work worldwide to assist you. Our experts combine knowledge and experience of turbine modelling and analysis of external conditions. They can model inter-turbine wake effects in detail, examine large wind farm projects and a multitude of complex site effects. With unparalleled customer service, DNV is the consultant of choice for an independent site specific load assessment service.
