Offshore Megastructures

This book presents recent advances in the physical, conceptual, and methodological foundations required for the reliable design, analysis, and operation of offshore megastructures. Modern offshore wind turbines are expected to make a significant contribution to the success of the energy transition. Future turbines are considerably larger than those in operation today, reaching total heights of more than 300 meters and featuring rotors with diameters exceeding 280 meters. At these scales, turbines are exposed to little-known influences and environmental conditions that develop at altitudes above 100 meters. Due to their dimensions and the delicate construction required, environmental effects and the interactions between individual components are becoming increasingly important. Established methods for the design and operation of wind turbines are no longer applicable to structures of this size. Therefore, new concepts are being developed worldwide to create an integrated design and operation methodology based on the concept of digital twins. This approach goes far beyond the sequential, state-of-the-art design process and calls for research into new physical, conceptual, and methodological foundations: The term offshore megastructures is often used to describe slender offshore wind turbines with rated powers exceeding 20 MW. These megastructures not only possess enormous dimensions and masses but also interact highly dynamically with their environment. According to this definition, the newest turbines developed by industry are already approaching the scale of megastructures. On one hand, this emphasizes that offshore megastructures become indispensable for future power generation. On the other hand, there is still no operational experience spanning 25 years or more for turbines of this scale. Hence, without entirely new design and operation methodologies, reliable long-term operation cannot be ensured. Integrating insights from various related fields, it highlights the paradigm shift essential for realizing the future of sustainable offshore wind energy.