Jul 2026· Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology· Vol 98, pp. 1041-1050· 0 citations· 6 references
Abstract
This paper aims to examine the effects of planned offshore wind energy developments in the eastern Baltic Sea on civil aviation safety, airspace structure and flight operations and identifies conditions for their safe coexistence.
The study synthesises four independent aviation impact assessments conducted for offshore wind farm development areas along the Estonian coastline. A shared methodological framework was used, combining stakeholder consultations, geographical overlay analysis of wind farm layouts with aviation airspace structures and a structured impact matrix in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organisation and European Union Aviation Safety Agency principles.
Aviation impacts vary according to turbine height, spatial configuration, proximity to aerodromes and flight procedures. Wind farms located within aerodrome sector altitude determination areas may require increases in minimum altitudes and redesign of instrument procedures, while more distant developments have minimal effects. Visual flight operations and search and rescue and medical evacuation flights are more sensitive to turbine installations than routine instrument operations. Impacts on communication, navigation and surveillance systems are generally localised and minor and wake turbulence effects are moderate and manageable.
Offshore wind energy projects and aviation operations can coexist safely when comprehensive pre-construction aviation impact assessments are conducted, turbine placement considers aerodrome procedures and mitigation measures such as aeronautical information publication and procedural adaptation are implemented.
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the paper offers the first integrated synthesis of four independent Eastern Baltic Sea offshore wind aviation assessments, identifying recurring impact patterns and providing a unified regional perspective not available in the original reports.
During offshore wind turbine maintenance operations, maintenance vessels typically rely on transfer gangways to achieve safe transfer of personnel from the vessel to the wind turbine. With the development of offshore wind farms toward far sea areas, working sea state conditions have become increasingly complex. In recent years, the application of large-scale active wave compensation (AWC) transfer gangways has mitigated the adverse effects of ship motions on transfer operations to a certain extent, but the problem of limited motion ranges of each gangway joint has also emerged as a prominent issue. Under complex sea state conditions, if the station-keeping position of the maintenance vessel is improperly selected, joint limit violations may occur during the gangway compensation process, thereby posing safety risks. To address the above problems, this paper develops a novel geometric-envelope-based analytical method for operational sea states and ranges that explicitly accounts for gangway joint constraints and wave-induced vessel motions to meet the safety requirements of large-scale gangways. Subject to the motion constraints of gangway joints, to ensure that the initially selected station-keeping position of the vessel satisfies the requirements for safe gangway transfer, the feasible domain and motion range of the gangway base point under different sea states are obtained. By solving for the solutions where the motion range of the base point lies entirely within the feasible domain, feasible schemes for vessel station-keeping operations under different sea states are derived. The results show that the gangway can operate safely under sea states 3 and 4 but fails under sea state 5. The allowable height difference between the transfer point and the gangway base is [−2.7 m, 8.7 m] for sea state 3 and [1.8 m, 3.5 m] for sea state 4. The operational area on the horizontal plane presents a partial ring shape, and the ring width first increases and then decreases with increasing height difference. Finally, random numerical examples are designed to demonstrate the applicability and internal consistency of the proposed analytical method.
Wen-hua Wang, Zhibin Wang, Binbin Jing et al.· Journal of Marine Science an...· 0 citations
The purpose of this paper is to derive and propose site-specific joint environmental contours for two eligible Offshore Wind Farm Organized Development Areas (OWFODAs) in the Aegean Sea, Greece. The contours are tailored primarily for the design, structural reliability assessment and definition of site-specific environmental load combinations of offshore wind turbines (OWTs); they are quantified based on publicly available 28-year data sets related to offshore wind and wave conditions, namely, wave height, Hs, wave peak period, Tp and mean wind speed at the hub height of the wind turbine, u¯hub. A new methodology, using the modified Inverse First Order Reliability Method (IFORM), is proposed to accurately reflect the regional climate peculiarities, combined with fifth-order polynomials and a sigmoid function to fit the data of the Weibull parameters and correctly capture the low- and mid-range values of Hs, which are statistically far more frequent. Several results, in terms of 2D and 3D contour surfaces for two locations in each OWFODA, for 50-year and 100-year return periods are presented. Finally, two tables are cited: one gathering Hs and Tp values corresponding to the maximum u¯hub conditions, and another gathering u¯hub and Tp values corresponding to the maximum Hs conditions. The presented joint probability distributions and the environmental contour surfaces bridge metocean statistical modelling with renewable energy systems design. By providing site-specific joint metocean conditions, the proposed methodology supports offshore wind farm design and structural assessment, thereby contributing to sustainable wind energy development in the Aegean Sea.
T. Tsaousis, C. Michailides, I. Chatjigeorgiou· Journal of Marine Science an...· 0 citations
Fog is one of the most hazardous meteorological phenomena, significantly impacting aviation safety and the continuity and regularity of aviation operations, particularly in general aviation. It also causes substantial economic losses due to frequent operational disruptions and temporary airport closures. Moreover, fog remains one of the most complex atmospheric phenomena to forecast and observe with high accuracy. The Vojvodina region, the focus of this study, is characterized by frequent fog, particularly during the colder part of the year. It hosts several small airports and airfields, which, despite their limited infrastructure, are regularly used and often operate without certified low-visibility landing systems. Under such conditions, fog dispersion techniques could serve as a potential supplementary operational approach for enhancing operational aviation safety. To illustrate the described meteorological conditions and their potential impact on aviation operations, this study analyzes the synoptic situation on 14 November 2025, during which an aircraft accident occurred at Subotica Airport (LYSU), resulting in severe injuries to the passenger and the death of the pilot. This study provides a critical assessment of the potential to improve aviation safety at small airports and airfields in the Vojvodina region by applying fog dispersion methods, with particular consideration of their environmental implications. The study focuses on scenarios where certified low-visibility landing systems are not operationally available.
Jelena Janjić, M. Ćurić· Zbornik radova· 0 citations
The digital transformation of air navigation services has become increasingly important for improving operational efficiency, service continuity, and resource optimization, particularly in geographically dispersed areas. AirNav Indonesia faces several challenges in conventional tower operations, including high infrastructure investment, limited operational flexibility, uneven human resource distribution, security risks, and geographical constraints in Papua and Frontier, Outermost, and Disadvantaged (3T) regions. This study aims to design a Remote Digital Tower Pilot Project as an alternative air navigation service model to support Operational Excellence at AirNav Indonesia. The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach integrating qualitative and quantitative analyses. Qualitative data were obtained through focus group discussions and brainstorming, while quantitative data included flight traffic, operational, security disturbance, personnel mutation, and project planning data. The findings indicate that Very Density Aerodrome airports are the most appropriate priority for initial implementation due to their relatively low traffic complexity and continuing requirement for Aerodrome Flight Information Services. The proposed design integrates digital camera technology, video processing, satellite-based communication networks, system architecture, and project management techniques, including the Work Breakdown Structure, Critical Path Method, schedule crashing, and Gantt Chart. Testing based on the EUROCAE ED-240A standard indicates that the proposed system meets operational requirements. The study concludes that the Remote Digital Tower Pilot Project provides a feasible framework for improving operational efficiency, resource flexibility, and sustainable digital transformation within AirNav Indonesia.
Unknown authors· American Journal of Economic...· 0 citations
This article examines the key engineering challenges associated with the mechanical design of offshore wind turbines operating in harsh marine environments. The study discusses the main structural categories–foundations, towers, and rotors–emphasizing their suitability for different sea depths and geological conditions. Mechanical factors that significantly influence structural reliability are analysed, including loads, corrosion, fatigue, vibration, and aerodynamic as well as mechanical noise. The research also highlights current technological trends such as the increasing use of composite materials, hybrid tower structures, anti–corrosion solutions, floating platforms for deep–water installations, and smart monitoring systems supported by artificial intelligence. Additionally, the paper evaluates international experience and its relevance to the Baltic Sea region, focusing on Lithuania’s potential and engineering priorities for offshore wind development. The findings show that the integration of modern materials, digital diagnostics, and advanced foundation technologies can considerably improve operational efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, and extend structural lifespan.
Daiva Stanelytė· Balkan Journal of Electrical...· 0 citations
Many existing offshore wind farms (OWF) in European waters are coming to the end of their original design life in the next decade. Life extension offers the potential to continue their operation and to contribute to renewable energy generation and thus sustainability targets. Typically, these offshore wind turbines were constructed with a monopile embedded in sandy soil as the most efficient support structure in low to medium water depths. Fatigue due to variable wind and wave loading and corrosion due to the maritime conditions are the typical damage mechanisms that need to be considered. Critical weld locations below the mudline experience high and varying bending loads but are inaccessible for manual or visual inspection.
The feasibility of employing guided ultrasonic waves to detect corrosion and fatigue defects in the inaccessible, submerged part of the monopiles was investigated from Finite Element (FE) simulations and experiments on a laboratory scaled prototype. A prototype was manufactured from welded sections to approximate the monopile of a 5 MW offshore wind turbine on a scale of 1:25 with the correct ratios of length, diameter, and wall thickness. The tank was filled with 1.2 m of sand and 0.8 m of water from the bottom (saturated sand).
Experiments were conducted employing the T(0,1) torsional guided wave mode excited at the top end above the water level to monitor the wave propagation and sensitivity for defects. The effects of embedment in water and sand on the attenuation of the guided waves were quantified and compared to theoretical predictions to ascertain that the complete length of the monopile can be monitored. An artificial defect (notch) approximately 0.25 m below the mudline was introduced and increased in severity in stages and the sensitivity for the detection of defects at a circumferential weld verified.
FE calculations using the ABAQUS software were conducted to aid the selection of suitable guided wave modes and excitation frequencies, and the guided wave propagation across the multiple welded parts with thickness changes simulated. Good agreement with the experimental results was achieved. The guided ultrasonic wave data could be combined with load and stress predictions to facilitate fatigue reliability analysis based on Structural Health Monitoring (SHM).
P. Fromme, Enze Chen, P. Duffour· e-Journal of Nondestructive...· 0 citations
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