Influence of soil‐structure interaction on the behavior of the tower‐foundation system of a horizontal‐axis wind turbine

Abstract

The ongoing advancement of wind turbines, aiming for taller towers to harness more intense winds, poses substantial structural challenges. Soil‐structure interaction (SSI) assumes fundamental importance, necessitating precise analysis, and mathematical modeling. This study focuses on examining how SSI influences horizontal‐axis wind turbine tower‐foundation systems. Six numerical models, varying from simplified to more complex representations, are created using the finite element method (FEM) in ANSYS software. The analysis reveals significant sensitivity to support conditions, particularly elastic supports, causing the greatest displacement at the tower's top (1.899 m), highlighting the substantial influence of SSI and second‐order effects. Incorporating SSI and second‐order effects results in a 30.11% increase in von Mises stress at the base flange (73.4 MPa), compared to models excluding these factors. Stress variation along the tower height notably increases with second‐order effects; however, the structure maintains a 13.32% safety margin relative to steel load‐bearing capacity. Foundation analyses indicate stresses exceeding concrete's allowable stress by 24.3%, underscoring the need for foundation optimization. These results stress the importance of considering SSI and geometric nonlinearity for wind turbine development. The lack of comparable studies in literature underscores the significance of this research in advancing the field's knowledge.