Quantification of Tropical Cyclone Characteristics in Taiwan, Japan and the US East Coast

As the world faces climate change and a need for energy security, a movement towards a sustainable energy sector is required [1]. Wind energy contributes to approximately 26% of the renewable energy produced globally [2]. Over time, offshore wind farms have become more attractive than onshore farms due to wind conditions, capacity factors, and resistance from local populations to onshore wind farms [3]. As offshore wind farm deployment increases, the number of wind farms in tropical cyclone (TC) prone areas will increase [4]. Given that TCs are one of the most devastating weather phenomena that can occur, ensuring wind turbines are designed to withstand the associated wind conditions is imperative.
Currently, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) design standards for offshore wind turbines may not cover the wind conditions associated with TCs [4, 5, 6]. The IEC Design Standard for offshore wind farms, 61400-3 [7], states the definition of onshore wind classes in IEC 61400-1 in terms of wind speed and turbulence parameters is still fitting for the design of the rotor and nacelle of offshore wind turbines [8]. IEC categorises turbines into classes based on the loads they can withstand. A new Class T for wind turbines in TC-prone areas has been introduced. However, the guidelines caveat that Class T does not encompass all areas prone to TCs and a site assessment is needed to ensure local maximum wind speed is below the reference wind speed (V_ref ) 57 ms⁻¹.