They are used in various fields, such as computing, medicine, business, and everyday language. Here are a few examples of when addressing wind offshore:
ABS American Bureau of Shipping is a classification society for marine and offshore assets. It strives to promote the security of life and property while preserving the natural environment.
ATEX Atmosphères Explosibles. ATEX is a safety certification from the European Union for equipment (mainly electrical equipment) used in hazardous areas.
BESS Battery Energy Storage Systems provide a solution for energy storage and power management, load management, backup power, and improved power quality. One of the primary benefits of BESS is its ability to store excess energy generated by offshore wind farms. This benefits offshore wind farms as their energy can be intermittent, meaning their output may not always match the energy demand. By storing the excess energy produced during peak periods, a BESS can help ensure that the energy is available when needed, even if the renewable source isn't generating at that time.
CE Marked Conformitè Europëenne. CE Mark is the European Union’s mandatory conformity marking for regulating the goods sold within the European Economic Area (EEA).
DNV DNV, or DNV GL, stands for the Norwegian classification society Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas. DNV provides certification standards for protecting the life, property, and environment of offshore facilities, vessels, and the crews under their jurisdiction.
Decommissioning Removing offshore wind turbines and associated infrastructure at the end of their operational life.
Feeder Support Vessels Feeder support vessels (FSVs) are designed to transport wind turbine components from the port to the field. They typically consist of a large deck with an integrated skidding system, which allows the components to be moved from their storage positions on the vessel used during transportation to their lift-off position when at the field, ready to be installed.
Field Development Vessel Field development vessels (FDV), sometimes called cable laying vessels (CLV) in the industry, tie together all the individual wind turbines and connect them to shore. They inter-array the cables, position electrical cables between the turbines, and then run them to shore. The vessel's deck is equipped with a large cable carousel, a tower with a cable tensioner, and guide units to keep the cable correctly positioned as it is laid.
Floating Wind Turbine Floating wind turbines were developed to allow offshore wind farms to operate in deeper waters. There are three common types of floating turbines: spar, semisubmersible, and tension leg platform. Each uses a unique design to provide a stable and safe operating platform for the turbine.
Foundation The foundation is the structure that provides a stable platform on which the wind turbine can be built. In shallower waters, it is anchored to the seabed and commonly made of steel monopiles or jackets. In deeper waters, floating platforms are used as foundations.
Grid Connection The physical connection of the offshore wind farm to the onshore electricity grid.
IECEx This is the International Electrotechnical Commission System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres. The Commission's objective is to standardize and facilitate trade-in equipment and services for use in explosive atmospheres while maintaining the required level of safety. This objective is accomplished through its certification schemes for equipment, personnel, and facilities.
IMO International Maritime Organization. The United Nations formed IMO to be a global standard-setting authority for the safety, security, and environmental performance of international shipping.
Inter-array Cables These subsea cables connect all the wind farm's turbines to the offshore substation.
Jacket Foundation Jacket Foundations are used in depths up to 60 meters. They utilize a lattice-steel structure with three or four anchoring points embedded into the seafloor.
MSD Unit Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) is a wastewater treatment unit designed to receive, retain, treat, or discharge sewage and any process used to treat it.
Megawatt A megawatt (MW) is a power unit equal to one million watts. On average, today’s offshore wind turbines can produce around 7.4 MW.
Monopile Foundation Monopile foundations are typically used when a wind turbine is installed in waters with depths up to 15 meters. Large steel cylinders buried into the seafloor extend upward, ensuring the turbines are safe above sea level.
Nacelle The nacelle is the housing structure at the top of the wind turbine tower that houses the generator, gearbox, brakes, cooling system, and control system.
O&M Operations and maintenance.
Office/Workshop Module Offshore modules are designed to work in more hazardous areas and meet certification requirements such as ZONE, IECEx, and Division.
Offshore Wind Farm An offshore wind farm is a collection of wind turbines and their supporting infrastructure located offshore to generate electricity.
Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessel Wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV) are designed to install and construct wind turbines offshore. These vessels typically use a jack-up design in which a set of legs are lowered to the sea floor to raise the vessel's deck above the water's surface. In deeper water, where the jack-up legs cannot operate, the vessel will use a DP system to maintain its position. The vessel will have an extensive crane for positioning and placing the wind turbine components during construction.
Offshore Wind Resource Assessment Offshore Wind Resource Assessments measure and assess the available wind resources in each area. PAM Portable Accommodation Modules are temporary offshore modules that add accommodation such as sleeping quarters, galleys, diners, offices, recreation rooms, etc.
Pitch System The pitch system controls the angle of the turbine blades. Adjusting the angle of the turbine blade enables the turbine to be optimized for the current conditions and maximizes the amount of energy that can be produced.
POB People on Board is the term often used to describe the number of personnel on an offshore facility or vessel.
Power Curve The power curve is the graph of the power output of a turbine based on different wind speeds.
Reefer Units Insulated refrigerated modules designed for the marine environment to store perishable refrigerated and frozen goods and groceries.
Repowering Repowering a wind farm is the process of replacing existing older turbines with newer models that can generate more power. Due to newer turbines' greater efficiency and capacity, repowering can often achieve higher generation with fewer turbines.
Rotor The rotor is the rotating section of the turbine. It consists of the turbine blades and the hub that connects the blades to the shaft.
SCADA Stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. It is a system used for monitoring and controlling industrial processes and infrastructure. SCADA systems enable remote monitoring and control, making them crucial for efficient and safe operation of industrial plants.
Service Operation Vessels Service operation vessels (SOV) are designed to support servicing and repair. They are constructed to provide accommodation and offices for the crews who service the wind turbines. They are equipped with gangways that enable the crew to walk the turbine from the vessel and a small crane to allow for launching and retrieving smaller craft to ferry works if the need arises.
SOLAS Safety of Life at Sea. The SOLAS convention was held in response to the sinking of the Titanic. It formed an international treaty to specify the minimum standards for the construction, equipment, and operation of ships, compatible with their safety.
Substation A substation is where all the power the turbines generate is collected and stabilized before transmission through the export cable onshore.
Support Modules Offshore modules are constructed to provide galleys, diners, laundry rooms, offices, and recreation rooms for offshore assets.
TLQ Temporary Living Quarters, also known as TLQs, refer to accommodation modules added to vessels or offshore facilities to increase the number of people who can be housed. TLQs can range in size, adding as few as 1–2 people to sleeping 100 or more.
Turbine Capacity Turbine capacity refers to the maximum power a turbine can produce. Today’s offshore wind turbines can make an average of 8 to 10 megawatts (MW) of power. This is a significant increase compared to earlier models, thanks to technological advancements, larger rotor diameters, and higher hub heights.
USCG The United States Coast Guard enforces federal regulations on marine and offshore assets. It works with classification societies and provides supplemental requirements when necessary.
Wake Effect This wind effect describes the wind speed reduction after passing through wind turbines. Understanding the wake effect is essential for positioning turbines to ensure they can achieve their energy production.
Wind Turbine Installation Vessels Wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV) are designed to install and construct wind turbines offshore. These vessels typically use a jack-up design in which a set of legs is lowered to the sea floor and raises the vessel's deck above the water's surface.
Wind Turbine Wind turbines are large mechanical devices that use blades to capture wind energy and convert it into electrical power through a generator.
WTG WTG stands for Wind Turbine Generator. It is a device that converts the kinetic energy from wind into electrical energy. WTGs are critical components of wind farms, both onshore and offshore, and play a significant role in generating renewable energy.
Yaw System The yaw system enables the turbine to change the direction it is facing so the wind turbine can optimize its power production. The offshore wind industry has many industry-specific terms, and this was a small supplement with valuable links and elaborations.
Comments