Numerical Reproduction of Extreme Wave Loads on a Gravity Wind Turbine Foundation

A fully nonlinear 3D Navier Stokes solver with VOF (Volume of Fluid) treatment of the free surface is used to reproduce two extreme laboratory wave impacts on a gravity wind turbine foundation. The wave climate is irregular waves with a current. Numerical results for inline force, overturning moment and run-up are compared to measurements. The extreme wave loads for the two events are associated with slamming onto the under side of a horizontal platform placed 9.1m above the still water level. For such impacts, the computed wave loads are strongly sensitive to the shape of the incoming waves. A comparison with a Morison-type estimation of the wave loads shows that this much simpler approach can reproduce the overall trend of the wave load history, but not the extreme moment.