Design and Engineering of a maintenance hub superstructure
Frank Adam, Peter Dierken, Moe Moe Aye, Falk Wittmann, Clemens Schmitt & Alexandru Cobzaru
This paper aims to contribute the final design of a cost-effective and energy self-sufficient offshore wind operation and maintenance (O&M) platform. The concept integrates four different functions within the same space such as O&M services, accommodation facilities for service staffs, renewable energy extraction and smart storage system, and housing of spare parts. The primary energy for the entire hub is supplied from a medium sized wind turbine coupled with photovoltaic modules and the wave energy converter. A special focus is put on the development of a modular and standardized system, which can be easily adapted to different climates. Moreover, the design considers the needs of future users, and health, safety and environmental risk related issues. A final design for both the North Sea site and the Mediterranean Sea site based on a hypothetical offshore wind farm with a capacity of 100 units of 10 MW direct drive turbine is presented. The results indicate that Energyhub@Sea can be a promising solution for offshore wind parks saving time and costs required for O&M activities. This study contributes useful inputs for industries towards the implementation of an offshore onsite-based O&M platform.
KEYWORDS: Energyhub@Sea, Offshore wind maintenance platform, Energy self-sufficient
Frank ADAM carries out important research into offshore wind and floating substructures. His main focus is on logistical concepts, coupled simulations, the use of novel materials for maritime constructions, and intelligent decommissioning concepts for offshore wind turbines. He heads up the TLP (tension leg platform), Space@Sea, DT-NeO-WEA, OWSplus and NuLIMAS development projects at GICON and the University of Rostock. He also serves as the ERASMUS+ representative at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technology and lectures the Practical Wind Turbine Construction Initiative at the LWET.