Fatigue Life of Wind Turbine Tower Bases throughout Colorado

Abstract

Throughout the U.S., there has been a dramatic increase in the installation of wind turbines, which and are now producing a notable portion of renewable energy. The tower base experiences large stress reversals as a result of wind loading and can be subjected to fatigue failure if not properly designed. In this study, fatigue life estimates for wind turbine tower bases throughout Colorado are investigated and the effects of wind distribution and turbulence intensity of those estimates are discussed. The concept of performance-based design (PBD) is applied to optimize the tower base design parameters such that the desired fatigue life is achieved with a minimum amount of steel used in the design. It is concluded that the application of PBD may substantially reduce the initial cost of wind turbine startup, i.e., design and construction, thereby reducing the cost of wind power.