Marine growth effect on the vibration characteristics of offshore wind turbine with jacket foundation

Due to the energy crisis and greenhouse effect, wind energy is becoming one of the most attractive renewable energies during last three decades. Especially them offshore wind energy gets more attention because it could provide better wind condition with less turbulence and no visual impact and land limitation. Different foundation types could be used for offshore wind turbine. Jacket foundation is regarded as a suitable solution for the intermediate water depth ranging from 30 to 80 meters. On the submerged members of jacket, numerous type of marine fouling organism may be found. They may increase the diameter of the members, change the surface roughness and influence the hydrodynamic loads of structures. In this paper, the types and distribution of marine growth are presented. Effects of marine growth thickness, density and hydrodynamic coefficients on vibration characteristics of offshore wind turbine are discussed. The natural frequencies of the coupled system are compared.