Optimisation of digitally twinned metal wind turbine support towers

This ICASE project intends to bridge the gap between GMNIA of digitally twinned tower structures and modern EN 1993-1-6 design through an intensive programme of optimisation endeavours, both of the tower designs and, eventually, of the design rules themselves.

A proper characterization of manufacturing imperfections is crucial for safe and economic structural design, particularly for thin-walled shells whose resistance is acutely sensitive to them. Unfortunately, systematic imperfections that are characteristic of small-scale manufactured specimens tested in structures laboratories (the current basis for calibration of design rules and partial factors) are not at all representative of those characteristic of full-scale constructed civil engineering shells.

This makes it exceptionally difficult to meaningfully extrapolate existing test results to real design conditions of shell structures. Armed with data obtained from high-fidelity reality capture methodologies deployed to full-scale metal wind support towers, it is now finally possible to begin characterising the real geometries of actual full-scale construction.

The project falls within the 'Engineering' theme within the current EPSRC portfolio, particularly 'Structural Engineering' (satisfying each of the Sustainability, Resilient Infrastructure and Digital Technologies topics).