Preliminary Design of a Submerged Support Structure for Floating Wind Turbines

Cost-effective floating wind turbines with efficient installations are highly desired in deep waters(>50 m).This paper presents a submerged floating offshore wind turbines(SFOWT)concept for intermediate water depths(50-200 m).The performance of SFOWTs can be improved through a judicious choice of configuration,pretension,and mooring line layout.Four SFOWTs with different configurations and a similar mass,named Cyl-4,Cub-4,Cyl-3,and Hex-3,were designed and analyzed.The responses of the four SFOWTs were predicted under operational condition and extreme condition.The results show that the four SFOWTs exhibited good performance under both conditions.The effect of platform configurations on power output was negligible under the operational condition.Under the extreme condition,among the four SFOWTs,the mean bending moments at the tower base were very close,while the maximum values differed by up to 21.5%,due to the configurations.The effect of wind-wave misalignment under the extreme condition was further analyzed.In general,the motion performances of the four-pontoon SFOWTs,Cyl-4 and Cub-4,were superior to those of the three-pontoon SFOWTs,Cyl-3 and Hex-3.Optimization studies of the mooring system were carried out on Cub-4 with different mooring line pretensions and four mooring layouts.The optimized Cub-4 could reduce the maximum motion responses in the surge,heave,and yaw by 97.7%,91.5%,and 98.7%,respectively.

Comparisons of Wave Force Model Effects on the Structural Responses and Fatigue Loads of a Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbine

The selection of wave force models will significantly impact the structural responses of floating wind turbines.In this study,comparisons of wave force model effects on the structural responses and fatigue loads of a semi-submersible floating wind turbine(SFWT)were conducted.Simulations were performed by employing the Morison equation(ME)with linear or second-order wave kinematics and potential flow theory(PFT)with first-or second-order wave forces.A comparison of regular waves,irregular waves,and coupled wind/waves analyses with the experimental data showed that many of the simulation results and experimental data are relatively consistent.However,notable discrepancies are found in the response amplitude operators for platform heave,tower base bending moment,and tension in mooring lines.PFT models give more satisfactory results of heave but more significant discrepan-cies in tower base bending moment than the ME models.In irregular wave analyses,low-frequency resonances were captured by PFT models with second-order difference-frequency terms,and high-frequency resonances were captured by the ME models or PFT models with second-order sum-frequency terms.These force models capture the response frequencies but do not reasonably predict the response amplitudes.The coupled wind/waves analyses showed more satisfactory results than the wave-only analyses.However,an important detail to note is that this satisfactory result is based on the overprediction of wind-induced responses.

Dynamic Analysis of a 10 MW Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Considering the Tower and Platform Flexibility

Recently,semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine technologies have received considerable attention.For the coupled simulation of semisubmersible floating offshore wind energy,the platform is usually considered a rigid model,which could affect the calculation accuracy of the dynamic responses.The dynamic responses of a TripleSpar floating offshore wind turbine equipped with a 10 MW offshore wind turbine are discussed herein.The simulation of a floating offshore wind turbine under regular waves,white noise waves,and combined wind-wave conditions is conducted.The effects of the tower and platform flexibility on the motion and force responses of the TripleSpar semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine are investigated.The results show that the flexibility of the tower and platform can influence the dynamic responses of a TripleSpar semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine.Considering the flexibility of the tower and platform,the tower and platform pitch motions markedly increased compared with the fully rigid model.Moreover,the force responses,particularly for tower base loads,are considerably influenced by the flexibility of the tower and platform.Thus,the flexibility of the tower and platform for the coupled simulation of floating offshore wind turbines must be appropriately examined.

Aero-Hydrodynamic Coupled Dynamic Characteristics of Semi-Submersible Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Under Inflow Turbulence

In this study,the frequency characteristics of the turbulent wind and the effects of wind-wave coupling on the low-and high-frequency responses of semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbines(FOWT)are investigated.Various wave load components,such as first-order wave loads,combined first-and second-order difference-frequency wave loads,combined first-and second-order sum-frequency wave loads,and first-and complete second-order wave loads are taken into consideration,while different turbulent environments are considered in aerodynamic loads.The com-parison is based on time histories and frequency spectra of platform motions and structural load responses and statistical values.The findings indicate that the second-order difference-frequency wave loads will significantly increase the natural frequency of low-frequency motion in the responses of the platform motion and structure load of the semi-submersible platform,which will cause structural fatigue damage.Under the action of turbulent wind,the influences of second-order wave loads on the platform motion and structural load response cannot be ignored,especially under extreme sea conditions.Therefore,in order to evaluate the dynamic responses of semi-submersible FOWT more accurately,the actual environment should be simulated more realistically.

Wake Effects on A Hybrid Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Farm with Multiple Hub Heights

Wind farms generally consist of a single turbine installed with the same hub height. As the scale of turbines increases,wake interference between turbines becomes increasingly significant, especially for floating wind turbines(FWT).Some researchers find that wind farms with multiple hub heights could increase the annual energy production(AEP),while previous studies also indicate that wake meandering could increase fatigue loading. This study investigates the wake interaction within a hybrid floating wind farm with multiple hub heights. In this study, FAST.Farm is employed to simulate a hybrid wind farm which consists of four semi-submersible FWTs(5MW and 15MW) with two different hub heights. Three typical wind speeds(below-rated, rated, and over-rated) are considered in this paper to investigate the wake meandering effects on the dynamics of two FWTs. Damage equivalent loads(DEL) of the turbine critical components are computed and analyzed for several arrangements determined by the different spacing of the four turbines. The result shows that the dynamic wake meandering significantly affects downstream turbines’ global loadings and load effects. Differences in DEL show that blade-root flapwise bending moments and mooring fairlead tensions are sensitive to the spacing of the turbines.

Dynamic Response Analysis of Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbine with Different Wave Conditions

To address the problem of poor wave resistance of existing offshore floating wind turbines,a new type of semisubmersible platform with truncated-cone-type upper pontoons is proposed by combining the characteristics of offshore wind turbine semi-submersible floating platforms.Based on the coupled hydrodynamic,aerodynamic,and mooring force physical fields of FAST,the surge,heave,pitch,and yaw motions responses of the floating wind turbine under different wave heights and periods are obtained,and the mooring line tension responses are also obtained;and compare the dynamic response of the new semi-submersible platform with the OC4-DeepCwind platformat six degrees of freedom.The results show that different wave conditions have obvious effects on the heave and pitch motions of the new floating wind turbine,and fewer effects on the surge and yaw motions;the tensegrity response of the mooring system is more affected by the wave conditions;compared with the OC4-DeepCwind floating wind turbine,the pitch and roll response of the new floating wind turbine has been significantly reduced and has good stability.

Analysis of Key Disciplinary Parameters in Floating Offshore Wind Turbines with An AI-Based SADA Method

Floating offshore wind turbines(FOWTs)are a promising offshore renewable energy harvesting facility but requesting multiple-disciplinary analysis for their dynamic performance predictions.However,engineering-fidelity level tools and the empirical parameters pose challenges due to the strong nonlinear coupling effects of FOWTs.A novel method,named SADA,was proposed by Chen and Hu(2021)for optimizing the design and dynamic performance prediction of FOWTs in combination with AI technology.In the SADA method,the concept of Key Disciplinary Parameters(KDPs)is also proposed,and it is of crucial importance in the SADA method.The purpose of this paper is to make an in-depth investigation of the characters of KDPs and the internal correlations between different KDPs in the dynamic performance prediction of FOWTs.Firstly,a brief description of SADA is given,and the basin experimental data are used to conduct the training process of SADA.Secondly,categories and boundary conditions of KDPs are introduced.Three types of KDPs are given,and different boundary conditions are used to analyze KDPs.The results show that the wind and current in Environmental KDPs are strongly correlated with the percentage difference of dynamic response rather than that by wave parameters.In general,the optimization results of SADA consider the specific basin environment and the coupling results between different KDPs help the designers further understand the factors that have a more significant impact on the FOWTs system in a specific domain.

Study on Gyroscopic Effect of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Compared with bottom-fixed wind turbines,the supporting platform of a floating offshore wind turbine has a larger range of motion,so the gyroscopic effects of the system will be more obvious.In this paper,the mathematical analytic expression of the gyroscopic moment of a floating offshore wind turbine is derived firstly.Then,FAST software is utilized to perform a numerical analysis on the model of a spar-type horizontal axis floating offshore wind turbine,OC3-Hywind,so as to verify the correctness of the theoretical analytical formula and take an investigation on the characteristics of gyroscopic effect.It is found that the gyroscopic moment of the horizontal axis floating offshore wind turbine is essentially caused by the vector change of the rotating rotor,which may be due to the pitch or yaw motion of the floating platform or the yawing motion of the nacelle.When the rotor is rotating,the pitch motion of the platform mainly excites the gyroscopic moment in the rotor’s yaw direction,and the yaw motion of the platform largely excites the rotor’s gyroscopic moment in pitch direction,accordingly.The results show that the gyroscopic moment of the FOWT is roughly linearly related to the rotor’s inertia,the rotor speed,and the angular velocity of the platform motion.

Current Status and Future Trends for Mooring Systems of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

With the increasing demand of energy and the limitation of bottom-fixed wind turbines in moderate and deep waters,floating offshore wind turbines are doomed to be the right technical choice and they are bound to enter a new era of rapid development.The mooring system is a vital system of a floating wind turbine for station-keeping under harsh environmental con­ditions.In terms of existing floating wind turbine projects,this paper is devoted to discussing the current status of mooring systems and mooring equipment.This paper also presents the mooring analysis methods and points out the technical difficulties and challenges in mooring design,in­stallation,operation and maintenance stages.Finally,the developing trends of the mooring system are summarized,aiming to provide a reference for future mooring research.

Research on the Influence of Helical Strakes on Dynamic Response of Floating Wind Turbine Platform

The stability of platform structure is the paramount guarantee of the safe operation of the offshore floating wind turbine. The NREL 5MW floating wind turbine is established based on the OC3-Hywind Spar Buoy platform with the supplement of helical strakes for the purpose to analyze the impact of helical strakes on the dynamic response of the floating wind turbine Spar platform. The dynamic response of floating wind turbine Spar platform under wind, wave and current loading from the impact of number, height and pitch ratio of the helical strakes is analysed by the radiation and diffraction theory, the finite element method and orthogonal design method. The result reveals that the helical strakes can effectively inhibit the dynamic response of the platform but enlarge the wave exciting force; the best parameter combination is two pieces of helical strakes with the height of 15%D （D is the diameter of the platform） and the pitch ratio of 5; the height of the helical strake and its pitch ratio have significant influence on pitch response.

Coupled Dynamic Response Analysis of A Multi-Column Tension-Leg-Type Floating Wind Turbine

This paper presents a coupled dynamic response analysis of a multi-column tension-leg-type floating wind turbine（Wind Star TLP system） under normal operation and parked conditions. Wind-only load cases, wave-only load cases and combined wind and wave load cases were analyzed separately for the Wind Star TLP system to identify the dominant excitation loads. Comparisons between an NREL offshore 5-MW baseline wind turbine installed on land and the Wind Star TLP system were performed. Statistics of selected response variables in specified design load cases（DLCs） were obtained and analyzed. It is found that the proposed Wind Star TLP system has small dynamic responses to environmental loads and it thus has almost the same mean generator power output under operating conditions as the land-based system. The tension mooring system has a sufficient safety factor, and the minimum tendon tension is always positive in all selected DLCs. The ratio of ultimate load of the tower base fore-aft bending moment for the Wind Star TLP system versus the land-based system can be as high as 1.9 in all of the DLCs considered. These results will help elucidate the dynamic characteristics of the proposed Wind Star TLP system, identify the difference in load effect between it and land-based systems, and thus make relevant modifications to the initial design for the Wind Star TLP system.

Concept Design and Coupled Dynamic Response Analysis on 6-MW Spar-Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

Tower, Spar platform and mooring system are designed in the project based on a given 6-MW wind turbine. Under wind-induced only, wave-induced only and combined wind and wave induced loads, dynamic response is analyzed for a 6-MW Spar-type floating offshore wind turbine （FOWT） under operating conditions and parked conditions respectively. Comparison with a platform-fixed system （land-based system） ofa 6-MW wind turbine is carried out as well. Results demonstrate that the maximal out-of-plane deflection of the blade of a Spar-type system is 3.1% larger than that of a land-based system; the maximum response value of the nacelle acceleration is 215% larger for all the designed load cases being considered; the ultimate tower base fore-aft bending moment of the Spar-type system is 92% larger than that of the land-based system in all of the Design Load Cases （DLCs） being considered; the fluctuations of the mooring tension is mainly wave-induced, and the safety factor of the mooring tension is adequate for the 6-MW FOWT. The results can provide relevant modifications to the initial design for the Spar-type system, the detailed design and model basin test of the 6-MW Spar-type system.

Damage Identification of A TLP Floating Wind Turbine by Meta-Heuristic Algorithms

Damage identification of the offshore floating wind turbine by vibration/dynamic signals is one of the important and new research fields in the Structural Health Monitoring（SHM）. In this paper a new damage identification method is proposed based on meta-heuristic algorithms using the dynamic response of the TLP（Tension-Leg Platform） floating wind turbine structure. The Genetic Algorithms（GA）, Artificial Immune System（AIS）, Particle Swarm Optimization（PSO）, and Artificial Bee Colony（ABC） are chosen for minimizing the object function, defined properly for damage identification purpose. In addition to studying the capability of mentioned algorithms in correctly identifying the damage, the effect of the response type on the results of identification is studied. Also, the results of proposed damage identification are investigated with considering possible uncertainties of the structure. Finally, for evaluating the proposed method in real condition, a 1/100 scaled experimental setup of TLP Floating Wind Turbine（TLPFWT） is provided in a laboratory scale and the proposed damage identification method is applied to the scaled turbine.

Experimental Study on New Multi-Column Tension-Leg-Type Floating Wind Turbine

Deep-water regions often have winds favorable for offshore wind turbines, and floating turbines currently show the greatest potential to exploit such winds. This work established proper scaling laws for model tests, which were then implemented in the construction of a model wind turbine with optimally designed blades. The aerodynamic,hydrodynamic, and elastic characteristics of the proposed new multi-column tension-leg-type floating wind turbine(Wind Star TLP system) were explored in the wave tank testing of a 1:50 scale model at the State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Tests were conducted under conditions of still water, white noise waves, irregular waves, and combined wind, wave, and current loads. The results established the natural periods of the motion, damping, motion response amplitude operators, and tendon tensions of the Wind Star TLP system under different environmental conditions, and thus could serve as a reference for further research.

Dynamic Performance Investigation of A Spar-Type Floating Wind Turbine Under Different Sea Conditions

Both numerical calculation and model test are important techniques to study and forecast the dynamic responses of the floating offshore wind turbine(FOWT). However, both the methods have their own limitations at present. In this study, the dynamic responses of a 5 MW OC3 spar-type floating wind turbine designed for a water depth of 200 m are numerically investigated and validated by a 1:50 scaled model test. Moreover, the discrepancies between the numerical calculations and model tests are obtained and discussed. According to the discussions, it is found that the surge and pitch are coupled with the mooring tensions, but the heave is independent of them. Surge and pitch are mainly induced by wave under wind wave conditions. Wind and current will induce the low-frequency average responses, while wave will induce the fluctuation ranges of the responses. In addition, wave will induce the wavefrequency responses but wind and current will restrain the ranges of the responses.

Platform motion minimization using model predictive control of a floating offshore wind turbine

Wind turbines are installed offshore with the assistance of a floating platform to help meet the world’s increasing energy needs.However,the incident wind and extra incident wave disturbances have an impact on the performance and operation of the floating offshore wind turbine(FOWT)in comparison to bottom-fixed wind turbines.In this paper,model predictive control(MPC)is utilized to overcome the limitation caused by platform motion.Due to the ease of control synthesis,the MPC is developed using a simplified model instead of high fidelity simulation model.The performance of the controller is verified in the presence of realistic wind and wave disturbances.The study demonstrates the effectiveness of MPC in reducing platform motions and rotor/generator speed regulation of FOWTs.

Dynamic Responses of A Semi-Type Offshore Floating Wind Turbine During Normal State and Emergency Shutdown

This paper addresses joint wind-wave induced dynamic responses of a semi-type offshore floating wind turbine（OFWT） under normal states and fault event conditions. The analysis in this paper is conducted in time domain, using an aero-hydro-servo-elastic simulation code-FAST. Owing to the unique viscous features of the reference system, the original viscous damping model implemented in FAST is replaced with a quadratic one to gain an accurate capture of viscous effects. Simulation cases involve free-decay motion in still water, steady motions in the presence of regular waves and wind as well as dynamic response in operational sea states with and without wind. Simulations also include the cases for transient responses induced by fast blade pitching after emergency shutdown. The features of platform motions, local structural loads and a typical mooring line tension force under a variety of excitations are obtained and investigated.

Dynamic Response of 6MW Spar Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine by Experiment and Numerical Analyses

The floating offshore wind turbine(FOWT) is widely used for harvesting marine wind energy. Its dynamic responses under offshore wind and wave environment provide essential reference for the design and installation. In this study,the dynamic responses of a 6 MW Spar type FOWT designed for the water depth of 100 m are investigated by means of the wave tank experiment and numerical analysis. A scaled model is manufactured for the experiment at a ratio of65.3, while the numerical model is constructed on the open-source platform FAST(Fatigue, Aerodynamics,Structures, and Turbulence). Still water tests, wind-induced only tests, wave-induced only tests and combined windwave-current tests are all conducted experimentally and numerically. The accuracy of the experimental set-up as well as the loading generation has been verified. Surge, pitch and heave motions are selected to analyze and the numerical results agree well with the experimental values. Even though results obtained by using the FOWT calculation model established in FAST software show some deviations from the test results, the trends are always consistent. Both experimental and numerical studies demonstrate that they are reliable for the designed 6 MW Spar type FOWT.

Coupled Aerodynamic and Hydrodynamic Analysis of Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Using CFD Method

To simulate floating offshore wind turbine(FOWT)in coupled wind-wave domain via CFD method,the NREL 5MW wind turbine supported by the OC3-Hywind Spar platform is modeled in the STAR-CCM+ software.Based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS)equations and re-normalisation group(RNG)k-εturbulence model,the rotor aerodynamic simulation for wind turbine is conducted.Numerical results agree well with the NREL data.Taking advantage with the volume of fluid(VOF)method and dynamic fluid body interaction(DFBI)technology,the dynamic responses of the floating system with mooring lines are simulated under the coupled wind-wave sea condition.The free-decay tests for rigid-body degrees of freedom(DOFs)in still water and hydrodynamic tests in a regular wave are performed to validate the numerical model by comparing its result with the results simulated by FAST.Finally,the simulations of the overall FOWT system in the coupled wind-wave flow field are carried out.The relationship between the power output and dynamic motion responses of the platform is investigated.The numerical results show that the dynamic response of wind turbine performance and platform motions all vary in the same frequency as the inlet wave.During platform motion,the power output of wind turbine is more sensitive than the thrust force.This study may provide some reference for further research in the coupled aero-hydro simulation of FOWT.

An Integrated Structural Strength Analysis Method for Spar Type Floating Wind Turbine

An integrated structural strength analysis method for a Spar type floating wind turbine is proposed in this paper,and technical issues related to turbine structure modeling and stress combination are also addressed.The NREL-5MW ＂Hywind＂ Spar type wind turbine is adopted as study object.Time-domain dynamic coupled simulations are performed by a fully-coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic tool,FAST,on the purpose of obtaining the dynamic characteristics of the floating wind turbine,and determining parameters for design load cases of finite element calculation.Then design load cases are identified,and finite element analyses are performed for these design load cases.The structural stresses due to wave-induced loads and wind-induced loads are calculated,and then combined to assess the structural strength of the floating wind turbine.The feasibility of the proposed structural strength analysis method for floating wind turbines is then validated.