Structural Design and Evaluation of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Using the Dynamic Capacity Curve

This paper presents a seismic evaluation of a tubular tower of a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) and analyses the feasibility of constructing a wind farm in central Mexico, a geographically favourable area for development. It includes (1) an assessment of wind potential, (2) the structural design (foundation-tower) in accordance with the applicable design codes and (3) a seismic evaluation for the installation of five horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). For the seismic evaluation, dynamic capacity curves were applied to characterise the structural response and the evolution of damage in the HAWTs under increasing seismic intensities. These capacity curves were obtained using nonlinear incremental time-history analyses. Seismic demand was represented by 40 ground-motion records. Based on the resulting dynamic capacity curves, fragility curves were derived to estimate the probability of exceeding the displacement associated with the serviceability limit state. The application results indicate that the proposed design is feasible for installation at the Ecatzingo site, Mexico.