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.

Review of Experimental-Numerical Methodologies and Challenges for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Due to the dissimilar scaling issues,the conventional experimental method of FOWTs can hardly be used directly to validate the full-scale global dynamic responses accurately.Therefore,it is of absolute necessity to find a more accurate,economic and efficient approach,which can be utilized to predict the full-scale global dynamic responses of FOWTs.In this paper,a literature review of experimental-numerical methodologies and challenges for FOWTs is made.Several key challenges in the conventional basin experiment issues are discussed,including scaling issues;coupling effects between aero-hydro and structural dynamic responses;blade pitch control strategies;experimental facilities and calibration methods.Several basin experiments,industrial projects and numerical codes are summarized to demonstrate the progress of hybrid experimental methods.Besides,time delay in hardware-in-the-loop challenges is concluded to emphasize their significant role in real-time hybrid approaches.It is of great use to comprehend these methodologies and challenges,which can help some future researchers to make a footstone for proposing a more efficient and functional hybrid basin experimental and numerical method.

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.

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.

Motion Performance and Mooring System of a Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

The development of offshore wind farms was originally carried out in shallow water areas with fixed （seabed mounted） structures. However, countries with limited shallow water areas require innovative floating platforms to deploy wind turbines offshore in order to harness wind energy to generate electricity in deep seas. The performances of motion and mooring system dynamics are vital to designing a cost effective and durable floating platform. This paper describes a numerical model to simulate dynamic behavior of a new semi-submersible type floating offshore wind turbine （FOWT） system. The wind turbine was modeled as a wind block with a certain thrust coefficient, and the hydrodynamics and mooting system dynamics of the platform were calculated by SESAM soRware. The effect of change in environmental conditions on the dynamic response of the system under wave and wind loading was examined. The results indicate that the semi-submersible concept has excellent performance and SESAM could be an effective tool for floating wind turbine design and analysis.

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.

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.

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.

A Novel Dynamics Analysis Method for Spar-Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

The dynamic behavior of floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) is crucial for its design and optimization. A novel dynamics analysis method for the spar-type FOWT system is proposed in this paper based on the theorem of moment of momentum and the Newton’s second law. The full nonlinearity of the equations of motion (EOMs) and the full nonlinear coupling between external loads and the motions are preserved in this method. Compared with the conventional methods, this method is more transparent and it can be applied directly to the large-amplitude rotation cases. An in-house code is developed to implement this method. The capability of in-house code is verified by comparing its simulation results with those predicted by FAST. Based on the in-house code, the dynamic responses of a spar-type FOWT system are investigated under various conditions.

Fluid-structure interaction simulation of dynamic response and wake of floating offshore wind turbine considering tower shadow effect

The comprehensive numerical simulation of the tower shadow effect on floating offshore wind turbines(FOWTs),an area less explored compared to fixed-bottom wind turbines,is presented in this study.The atmospheric boundary layer inflow and the joint north sea wave project random wave are used as the operating conditions for FOWT.The combination of computational fluid dynamics(CFD)software simulator for wind farm applications and turbine simulation tool OpenFAST is used to implement fluid-structure interaction calculations.The output power,platform motion,wake velocity deficit and vortex structures are analyzed to reveal the influence of the tower shadow effect on the FOWT.The results indicate that due to the fluctuation caused by the turbulent wind and the floating platform motion,the tower shadow effect of FOWT is less significant for its periodic power decay than that of fixed-bottom wind turbines.And according to the velocity deficit analysis,the influence area of the tower shadow effect on the wake is mainly in the near wake region.

Numerical investigation of the coupled aero-hydrodynamic performances of a semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbine with inclined columns

Numerical investigations of floating platforms with different outer column inclined angles under two operating conditions of regular wave and irregular wave are presented in this paper.A coupled aero-hydrodynamic computational fluid dynamics in-house solver FOWT-UALM-SJTU is applied for the calculation.First,the validation for wave and wind generation are conducted to determine mesh distribution strategy.Based on these,the hydrodynamic motion response,aerodynamic performance and wake flow are analyzed to explore the impact of inclined angle.Conduct spectral analysis on the motion response under wave action,discuss the aerodynamic attack angle and inflow wind velocity along the blade spanwise direction in detail,reveal different trends in wake development and recovery.The results show that for the regular wave condition with the increase of inclined angles,the equilibrium position of surge motion is constantly rising,while pitch is decreasing.The maximum root mean square(rms)value occurs at angle=30°,compared with the original OC4 FOWT,the rms in power and thrust increase 0.35%,0.71%.And there are two low regions of attack angle and high regions of axial inflow velocity,corresponding to aerodynamic loads.The spectral analysis indicates that the natural frequency of pitch motion will increase with inclined angle.Besides,from the middle to far region of wake flow,the velocity recovery of FOWT with inclined angle will become faster,which is beneficial for downstream turbines to enhance more wind energy.

Coupled dynamic response analysis of multi-column floating offshore wind turbine with low center of gravity

To realize the application of the floating offshore wind turbine(FOWT)from deep to relatively shallow waters,a new concept of multi-column floating wind turbine platform with low center of gravity(CG)is designed and validated.The multi-column low CG platform is designed to support a 6MW wind turbine class and operated at a water depth of 50m in the South China Sea.The frequency domain software WADAM and time domain software NREL-FAST are used to simulate coupled dynamic responses of the floating wind turbine system with second-order wave loads considering.The dynamic behaviors of multi-column low CG FOWT system under normal operation and parked conditions are presented.The influence of second-order wave force on the motion responses of the multi-column platform,fore-aft force and moment of the tower base and mooring force are researched respectively.The results demonstrate that the coupled dynamic responses at rated operating condition and extreme condition meet the normal operating requirements and extreme survival requirements of FOWT system in the shallow water(50m)of South China Sea.In addition,it is found that,the wave frequency response gradually replaces the second-order low frequency response as the main influencing factor of the coupled dynamic response of the FOWT system with the increasing severity of the sea states.However,in general,the magnitude of second-order low frequency response increases with the increasing severity of the design load case.Thus,in the subsequent design of the shallow water FOWT system,the second-order effects should be paid enough attention.

Shared mooring systems for offshore floating wind farms: A review

Offshore wind energy,as a form of renewable power,has seen rapid development in recent years.While fixedbottom wind turbines are typically used in water depths less than 50 m,the utilization of floating offshore wind turbines(FOWTs)becomes essential for deeper waters.Secure and effective mooring systems play a crucial role in making FOWTs commercially viable.The concept of a shared mooring system offers an innovative solution for deploying floating wind farms in clusters or arrays,which can reduce overall construction costs for large-scale floating wind farms.It is imperative to optimize the shared mooring arrangement for maximum cost-effectiveness and wind farm stability.However,implementing a shared mooring system introduces complexity to the dynamics of FOWTs,requiring the development of advanced simulation tools to meet modelling requirements.Under the shared mooring arrangement,mooring lines and anchors face more significant challenges,such as chain-seabed interactions,soil cyclic weakening,and anchor out-of-plane loading,which underscore the need for innovative,reliable,and efficient shared anchor designs.This article offers an overview of the current research status on shared mooring systems for floating wind farms,which might serve as a valuable reference for the construction of large-scale floating wind farms worldwide.

Wind-wave induced dynamic response analysis for motions and mooring loads of a spar-type offshore floating wind turbine

Due to the energy crisis and the environmental issues like pollution and global warming, the exploration for renewable and clean energies becomes crucial. The offshore floating wind turbines（OFWTs） draw a great deal of attention recently as a means to exploit the steadier and stronger wind resources available in deep water seas. This paper studies the hydrodynamic characteristics of a spar-type wind turbine known as the OC3-Hywind concept and the dynamic responses of the turbine. Response characteristics of motions and mooring loads of the system under different sea states are evaluated and the effects of the loads induced by the wind and the wave on the system are discussed. The calculations are carried out with the numerical simulation code FAST in the time domain and the frequency analysis is made by using the FFT method. The results and the conclusions from this paper might help better understand the behavior characteristics of the floating wind turbine system under actual ocean environments and provide valuable data in design and engineering practice.

Research on Dynamic Response Characteristics of 6 MW Spar-Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

A 6 MW spar-type floating offshore wind turbine （FOWT） model is put forward and a fully coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic time domain model is established in the fatigue, aerodynamics, structures and turbulence （FAST） code. Influence rules of wind 10ad and wave load on the characteristics of 6 MW spar-type FOWT are investigated. Firstly, validation of the model is carried out and a satisfactory result is obtained. The maximal deviations of rotor thrust and power between simulation results and reference values are 4.54% and -2.74%, respectively. Then the characteristics, including rotor thrust, rotor power, out-of-plane blade deflection, tower base fore-aft bending moment, and mooring line tension, are researched. The results illustrate that the mean value of dynamic response characteristics is mainly controlled by the wind-induced action. For characteristics of tower base fore-aft bending moment and platform pitch motion, the oscillation is dominated by the wave-induced action during all conditions considered. For characteristics of out-of-plane blade tip deflection and mooring line tension, the oscillation is commanded by combination effect of wave and wind loads when the wind speed is lower than the rated wind speed （hereinafter referred to as below rated wind speed） and is controlled by the wave-induced action when the wind speed is higher than the rated wind speed （hereinafter referred to as above rated wind speed）. As to the rotor thrust and power, the oscillation is dominated by the wind induced action at below rated wind speed and by the combination action of wind and wave loads at above rated wind speed. The results should be useful to the detailed design and model basin test of the 6 MW spar-type FOWT.