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The committee recommends the Commonwealth Government create an Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Industrial Sound responsible for providing research and advice to the Minister for the Environment on the impact on human health of audible noise (including low frequency) and infrasound from wind turbines. Recommendation 1: final 6.5 The committee recommends that an Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Industrial Sound (IESC) be established by law, through provisions similar to those which provide for the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development. 6.6 The provisions establishing the IESC on Industrial Sound should state that the Scientific Committee must conduct 'independent, multi-disciplinary research into the adverse impacts and risks to individual and community health and wellbeing associated with wind turbine projects and any other industrial projects which emit sound and vibration energy'.

Tese de doutoramento em Construção Metálica e Mista, apresentada ao Departamento de Engenharia Civil da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra ; In the last few years it was registered an increase in the exploitation of renewable energies, namely wind energy, due to the increasing concern about the environmental problems related with the global warming. The forecast of the official entities is to increase the exploitation of the wind energy of around 61% in the European Union territory until 2020, with the implementation of newer structures for wind turbines. The same trend is followed worldwide with an increase of around 47% in the cumulative wind power installations in the same period. The technological development of wind energy converters (WEC) make it possible to increase the power and consequently the rotor diameter of horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT). The main hypothesis to carry out this improvement is based on the premises of the increase in height of the wind towers to allow the exploitation of stronger and more stable wind shear profiles therefore increasing the power production and the efficiency of the wind turbine. Therefore higher towers and more efficient and cost effective foundations are required for the new generation of wind energy exploitation. The increase in the height of the currently used tubular steel towers is possible given that the main problem that arises with the increase of diameter of the tube can be solved. Indeed, the transportation requirements with a maximum diameter of about 4.5 meters possible in public roads remains a major problem, allied with increase of fatigue loads in the flange connections and increase in the foundations dimensions. The work presented in this thesis has been developed in the scope of two European projects (HISTWIN and HISTWIN2) where the issues related to new type of connections in tubular towers, allowing for modularization and easier transportation, and to the improvement of foundations were studied. The behaviour of the current tubular steel towers is presented based on a monitoring of a full functional steel tubular tower. Stresses, dynamic displacements, vibrations and vibration frequencies are presented and the estimation of a fatigue spectra based on the vertical stresses on the shell was obtained. The feasibility of the production and assembly of a newer geometry for the towers is presented. The new geometry is composed by longitudinal bolted shear connection (modular segments) to allow the transportation and by friction connections to connect the segments together. Both these sets of connections withdraw the need of welding in and promotes the use of bolts allowing for improvements in the fatigue resistance. One requirement of the friction connections is the need of use of bolts that allow the tightening only from the inner side of the tower. Some solutions are available in the market and the behaviour of one of them was analysed in a long term monitoring. The improvement proposed for the foundation system focus on the reinforcement of the shallow foundations using micropiles to improve the overturning resistance, bearing capacity and foundation stiffness. The behaviour of the micropiles to be used in this solution is studied in detail, based on experimental laboratory tests and the subsequent calibration of a 2D numerical model to implement a procedure to allow the estimation of the micropile behaviour under monotonic and cyclic loading. Recommendations on the use of grouting techniques such as IRS and IGU are made in order to increase the grout-to-soil bond strength and the micropile resistance. Finally, based on LCA and LCC analysis, the micropiles have been proven to be an environmentally friendly and economical solution for all sets of case studies under consideration. ; Nos últimos anos tem-se verificado um acréscimo na exploração de energias renováveis, nomeadamente na energia eólica, devido ao crescente aumento das preocupações com os problemas ambientais relacionados com o aquecimento global. As entidades oficiais preveem um crescimento da exploração de energias eólicas de cerca de 61% no território da União Europeia até 2020 com implementação de novas estruturas de suporte para torres eólicas. A mesma tendência é observada um pouco por todo o mundo com um acréscimo de cerca de 47% no acumulado de instalações de produção de energia eólica para o mesmo período. O desenvolvimento tecnológico dos geradores de energia eólica tornou possível o aumento da potência e consequentemente do diâmetro do rotor nas turbinas eólicas de eixo horizontal. A principal alternativa para levar a cabo este melhoramento é baseada na premissa do aumento em altura das torres eólicas para permitir a exploração de perfis de vento mais fortes e mais estáveis aumentando consequentemente a produção de energia e a eficiência da turbina. Apesar das torres mais altas serem mais eficientes e economicamente vantajosas, torna-se necessária a definição de novas tipologias de fundações para esta nova vaga de exploração de energia eólica. O aumento da altura das atuais torres eólicas tubulares metálicas é possível visto poder ser resolvido o problema inerente ao aumento do diâmetro das torres. O diâmetro máximo transportável de 4.5 metros em estradas públicas apresenta-se de facto como um problema importante, aliado ao aumento das cargas de fadiga nas ligações em flange e ao aumento das dimensões das fundações. O trabalho apresentado foi desenvolvido no âmbito de dois projetos de investigação Europeus (HISTWIN e HISTWIN2) nos quais foram abordados os aspetos relacionados com a nova tipologia de ligações em torres metálicas tubulares que permite uma modularização da estrutura e um transporte mais fácil e com o melhoramento das fundações. O comportamento das torres eólicas tubulares é apresentado com base na monitorização de uma torre eólica tubular em funcionamento. São apresentados esforços, deslocamentos dinâmicos, vibrações e frequências bem como a estimativa de um espectro de fadiga tendo como base os esforços verticais na casca. É apresentada a viabilidade da produção e montagem da nova tipologia para as torres. A nova geometria é composta por ligações ao corte aparafusadas longitudinais (segmentos modulares) para permitir o transporte e ligações de atrito para unir os segmentos entre si. Ambos os conjuntos de ligação removem qualquer necessidade de recurso a soldaduras e promovem o uso de parafusos conduzindo portanto a melhoramentos na resistência à fadiga. Um requisito das ligações de atrito é a necessidade de recurso a parafusos que permitam o aperto apenas pelo interior da torre. Existem no mercado algumas soluções disponíveis e o comportamento de uma delas foi analisado com uma monitorização de longa duração. O melhoramento proposto para o sistema de fundação assenta no reforço das fundações diretas com recurso a microestacas para melhorar a resistência ao derrube, capacidade de carga e rigidez da fundação. O comportamento de microestacas a utilizar nesta solução é avaliado em detalhe, com recurso a ensaios laboratoriais e subsequente calibração de um modelo numérico 2D para implementar um procedimento que permita a estimativa do comportamento das microestacas sujeitas a cargas monotónicas e cíclicas. São feitas recomendações para o uso de técnicas de injeção dos tipos IRS e IGU para permitir o aumento da resistência da interface solo-calda e da própria microestacas. Por fim, e tendo como base uma análise LCA e LCC, mostrou-se que as microestacas são uma solução de reforço de fundações eficiente, quer ecológica quer ambientalmente, para todas as tipologias abordadas. ; Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia

Despite rapid and vast development of wind turbines across the Canadian province of Ontario, there is no map available indicating the location of each wind turbine. A map of this nature is crucial for health and environmental risk research and has many applications in other fields. Research examining health and wind turbines is limited by the available maps showing the nearest community to a wind farm as opposed to each unique wind turbine. Data from provincial-level organizations, developers, and municipalities were collected using government development approval documents, planning documents, and data given directly from municipalities and developers. Wind turbines were mapped using Google Earth, coordinate lists, shapefiles, and translating data from other maps. In total, 1,420 wind turbines were mapped from 56 wind farms. The limitations of each data source and mapping method are discussed. There are numerous challenges in creating a map of this nature, for example incorrect inclusion of wind farms and inaccuracies in wind turbine locations. The resultant map is the first of its kind to be discussed in the literature, can be used for a variety of health and environmental risk studies to assess dose-response, wind turbine density, visibility, and to create sound and vibration models.

The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) has as a key purpose to elevate cooperation between national research institutes to a new level, from ad-hoc participation in joint projects to collectively planning and implementing joint strategic research programmes. The RES directive and the SET Plan enforce a high rate of deployment of wind energy, on- and offshore for the European Union's member states leading to a high challenge for research in the two priority areas: Integration and Offshore. Wind energy was therefore at an early stage identified as an area for a joint research programme where the key players are the national wind energy research institutes but open to and encouraging universities to participate in the activities.

Many governments want to realize wind power, because it is a technology that promotes sustainable energy. That is why there is need for locations for wind farms (groups of wind turbines). Dikes are good locations for wind farms, because of favourable wind conditions, the absence of cultivation and the presence of road infrastructure. However, wind turbines near dikes might have negative effects on their primary function: flood safety. A recent trend is that wind turbines become larger. This increases the possibility of damage if the superstructure fails. Current directives, handbooks and guidelines treat the topics of flood safety and failure of wind turbines separately. A custom-made overview of the risks is needed for each project to ensure an adequate risk reduction strategy. An integrated approach is required to assess flood risk resulting from failure of these superstructures. This paper presents an integrated risk approach for wind turbines on dikes based on new research. This approach consists of systematic steps and includes the life cycle of both structures (wind turbines and dikes), which are assuredly interlinked. One important risk during the exploitation phase is highlighted: the incident of a falling blade or nacelle. The probability of such an incident is very low. However, if it falls on an important dike even this small probability might become relevant. This is because the required minimum probability of dike failure is relatively low. A Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) provides insight into the probability of a falling object on an earth dike

The purpose of the present study is to review the state-of-the-art in research and development of offshore wind turbines in order to address the latest findings and trends in structural design and response analysis. This could enhance a development of sophisticated offshore wind turbines. To complete such a task, a detailed review of offshore wind renewable energy potential, wind, wave and sea current loading as well as structural analysis and design procedures and experimental work are presented.