Ørsted and Oxford University to Study Turbine Foundations

Ørsted and the University of Oxford have signed a five-year research agreement to optimize the design of foundation structures for offshore wind turbines.

The research is expected to further develop, extend and embed new geotechnical design ideas into well-defined engineering methods for offshore wind, with the focus on cyclic loading.

Cyclic loading is the repeated loading that comes from the action of wind and waves on the structure, as well as the operation of the turbine, Ørsted said, emphasizing that it is an important element of safe design, especially for deepwater and larger turbines.

According to Ørsted, the research activities will deliver new design methods to address this cyclic loading, through doctoral and post-doctoral research projects, including on theoretical development, soil laboratory testing, and medium scale field tests.

“This exciting new phase of collaboration with Ørsted will put the next generation of offshore wind farms on more secure and cost-effective foundations through robust design methods for cyclic loading. This will be challenging but essential if the cost of offshore wind energy is to be further reduced,” said Byron Byrne, Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford.

The Danish developer and the University of Oxford have already collaborated on a range of projects over ten years, including the recently completed PISA (Pile Soil Analysis) project on the design of offshore wind foundations.

This new agreement builds on Ørsted’s relationships with the UK academic sector to drive innovations in renewable energy, as well as supporting education and skills for the future of the offshore wind industry. For the past seven years, Ørsted has also collaborated with researchers at the Durham Energy Institute (DEI) and is co-funding an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant programme.