Harmonizing the Mooring System Reliability of Multiline Anchor Wind Farms

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Spencer T. Hallowell ◽  
Sanjay R. Arwade ◽  
Brian D. Diaz ◽  
Charles P. Aubeny ◽  
Casey M. Fontana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
System Reliability ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Line System ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Anchor System ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Additional Safety

Abstract One of many barriers to the deployment of floating offshore wind turbines is the high cost of vessel time needed for soil investigations and anchor installation. A multiline anchor system is proposed in which multiple floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are connected to a single caisson. The connection of multiple FOWTs to a single anchor introduces interconnectedness throughout the wind farm. Previous work by the authors has shown that this interconnectedness reduces the reliability of the FOWT below an acceptable level when exposed to survival loading conditions. To combat the reduction in system reliability an overstrength factor (OSF) is applied to the anchors functioning as an additional safety factor. For a 100 turbine wind farm, single-line system reliabilities can be achieved using the multiline system with an OSF of 1.10, a 10% increase in multiline anchor safety factors for all anchors in a farm.

Fibre Spring Mooring Solution for Mooring Floating Offshore Wind Turbines in Shallow Water

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul McEvoy ◽  
Seojin Kim ◽  
Malak Haynes
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Electrical Cables

Abstract Mooring of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWT) in shallow water sites (30–80m) is challenging. These sites account for a significant proportion of the nearer to shore potential wind farm locations, and are desirable as they are closer to existing infrastructure and easier to access. Mooring large floating structures in very shallow waters however results in very long heavy mooring lines designed to minimize platform surge and protect the electrical cables. This paper presents an innovative Fibre Spring Mooring (FSM) solution which combines a high modulus, non-stretch, lightweight rope with a compliant nonlinear polymer spring offering a complete semi-taut mooring system which can be connected directly between the platform and the seabed. The paper will present Orcaflex simulation results of a 12MW barge type FOWT platform, moored using a semi-taut FSM mooring at three chosen North Sea locations close to existing wind farms, of 30m, 40m and 50m water depths. Different FSM configurations, with different line lengths, footprint, and ratio of fibre to spring are considered.

The Effect of Yaw Error on the Mooring Systems of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines in Extreme Weather Conditions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn R. Hunsberger ◽  
Spencer T. Hallowell ◽  
Casey M. Fontana ◽  
Sanjay R. Arwade
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Single Line ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

As floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) become the most viable option for wind farms in deeper waters, it is important to investigate their dynamic response in inclement conditions when failures, such as yaw misalignment, are more likely to occur. This research uses hour-long simulations in FAST, software developed by The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), to analyze the effect of yaw error on anchor tensions and platform displacements in both a traditional single-line wind farm geometry, where each anchor is connected to one turbine, and an optimum multiline anchor geometry, where each anchor is connected to three turbines. NREL’s 5 MW reference turbine on a semi-submersible base is analyzed using six realizations of each combination of co-directional wind and waves, wind speed and yaw error; resulting in 2,484 simulations in total. The variability in platform displacements and mooring forces increases as wind speed increases, and as yaw errors approach critical values. The angle of incidence of the co-directional wind and waves dictates which anchor experiences the most tension for both the single-line and multiline concepts. In the multiline geometry, the greatest increases in anchor tension occurs when the downwind turbine has yaw error. Yaw error increases the maximum anchor tension by up to 43% in the single-line geometry and up to 37% in the multiline geometry. In the multiline geometry, yaw error causes the direction of the resultant anchor force to vary by up to 20°. These changes in anchor tension magnitudes and directions are governed by the platform displacements, and are a direct result of the differences in the tangential and normal coefficients of drag of the turbine blades. When designing floating offshore wind farms, the influence of yaw error on loading magnitudes and directions are to be considered when determining the necessary capacities and calculating the corresponding reliabilities for wind turbine components.

scholarly journals Floating Performance of a Composite Bucket Foundation with an Offshore Wind Tower during Transportation

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Ding ◽  
Zuntao Feng ◽  
Puyang Zhang ◽  
Conghuan Le ◽  
Yaohua Guo
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Interaction Force ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Construction Technique ◽  
Bucket Foundation ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
One Step

The composite bucket foundation (CBF) for offshore wind turbines is the basis for a one-step integrated transportation and installation technique, which can be adapted to the construction and development needs of offshore wind farms due to its special structural form. To transport and install bucket foundations together with the upper portion of offshore wind turbines, a non-self-propelled integrated transportation and installation vessel was designed. In this paper, as the first stage of applying the proposed one-step integrated construction technique, the floating behavior during the transportation of CBF with a wind turbine tower for the Xiangshui wind farm in the Jiangsu province was monitored. The influences of speed, wave height, and wind on the floating behavior of the structure were studied. The results show that the roll and pitch angles remain close to level during the process of lifting and towing the wind turbine structure. In addition, the safety of the aircushion structure of the CBF was verified by analyzing the measurement results for the interaction force and the depth of the liquid within the bucket. The results of the three-DOF (degree of freedom) acceleration monitoring on the top of the test tower indicate that the wind turbine could meet the specified acceleration value limits during towing.

scholarly journals Numerical Study of a Proposed Semi-Submersible Floating Platform with Different Numbers of Offset Columns Based on the DeepCwind Prototype for Improving the Wave-Resistance Ability

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1255
Author(s):  
Zhenqing Liu ◽  
Yicheng Fan ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Guowei Qian
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Floating Platform ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Irregular Wave ◽  
Decay Test ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

DeepCwind semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbines have been widely examined, and in some countries this type of floating offshore wind turbine has been adopted in the construction of floating wind farms. However, the DeepCwind semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbines still experience large surge motion that limits their operational time. Therefore, in this study, a semi-submersible floating platform with different numbers of offset columns, but with the same total weight, based on the DeepCwind prototype is proposed. From the free-decay test, it was found that the number of the floating columns will affect the natural frequency of the platform. Furthermore, the regular wave test in the time domain and the irregular wave test in the frequency domain show that increasing the number of the floating columns will reduce the surge motion greatly, while the effects in the heave and pitch motions are not obvious.

Efficient Multiline Anchor Systems for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey M. Fontana ◽  
Sanjay R. Arwade ◽  
Don J. DeGroot ◽  
Andrew T. Myers ◽  
Melissa Landon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Simulation ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Wave Loading ◽  
Peak Demand ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Anchor Systems ◽  
Floating Platforms

A mooring and anchoring concept for floating offshore wind turbines is introduced in which each anchor moors multiple floating platforms. Several possible geometries are identified and it is shown that the number of anchors for a wind farm can be reduced by factors of at least 3. Dynamic simulation of turbine dynamics for one of the candidate geometries and for two directions of wind and wave loading allows estimation of multiline anchor forces the preview the types of loads that a multiline anchor will need to resist. Preliminary findings indicate that the peak demand on the anchor may be reduced by as much as 30% but that anchors used in such a system will need to be able to resist multi-directional loading.

Mooring Designs for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines Leveraging Experience From the Oil & Gas Industry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai-tung Ma ◽  
Yongyan Wu ◽  
Simen Fodstad Stolen ◽  
Leopoldo Bello ◽  
Menno ver der Horst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Synthetic Fiber ◽  
Extensive Experience ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Abstract As renewable energy developers start venturing into deeper waters, the floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are becoming the preferred solutions over fixed supporting structures. Many similarities can be identified between a FOWT and a floating oil & gas facility, such as floater concepts (spar, semi-submersible, tension leg platform, etc) and their mooring system designs. This paper focuses on the mooring designs for FOWTs by leveraging the extensive experience gained from the offshore oil & gas industry. Similarities and differences are highlighted in design criteria, mooring analysis, long-term integrity management, installation method and project execution. The established practices regarding mooring design and analysis are reviewed. Anchor radius is recommended based on water depth by referencing sample mooring designs from the oil & gas industry. Long-term mooring integrity and failure rates are summarized. Meanwhile, a few well-known issues are discussed, such as line break due to fatigue, corrosion on chain, and known issues with components such as clump weights. Regarding mooring installation, the established method for prelay and hook-up is reviewed. Finally, opportunities for cost reduction of mooring systems of FOWTs are presented related to project execution of large scale wind farms as well as potential areas of innovation, such as installation methods, use of synthetic fiber rope, and digitalization. In summary, the state-of-the-art practices from the oil & gas industry are reviewed and documented to benefit the developments of upcoming FOWT projects.

Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Sclavounos
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Response Dynamics ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
The Impact

Wind is a rapidly growing renewable energy source, increasing at an annual rate of 30%, with the vast majority of wind power generated from onshore wind farms. The growth of these facilities, however, is limited by the lack of inexpensive land near major population centers and the visual impact caused by large wind turbines.Wind energy generated from floating offshore wind farms is the next frontier. Vast sea areas with stronger and steadier winds are available for wind farm development and 5 MW wind turbine towers located 20 miles from the coastline are invisible. Current offshore wind turbines are supported by monopoles driven into the seafloor or other bottom mounted structures at coastal sites a few miles from shore and in water depths of 10-15 m. The primary impediment to their growth is their prohibitive cost as the water depth increases.This article discusses the technologies and the economics associated with the development of motion resistant floating offshore wind turbines drawing upon a seven-year research effort at MIT. Two families of floater concepts are discussed, inspired by developments in the oil and gas industry for the deep water exploration of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The interaction of the floater response dynamics in severe weather with that of the wind turbine system is addressed and the impact of this coupling on the design of the new generation of multi-megawatt wind turbines for offshore deployment is discussed. The primary economic drivers affecting the development of utility scale floating offshore wind farms are also addressed.

scholarly journals A Stochastic Petri Net Model for O&M Planning of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1134
Author(s):  
Tobi Elusakin ◽  
Mahmood Shafiee ◽  
Tosin Adedipe ◽  
Fateme Dinmohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Floating Platform ◽  
Offshore Wind Farms ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

With increasing deployment of offshore wind farms further from shore and in deeper waters, the efficient and effective planning of operation and maintenance (O&M) activities has received considerable attention from wind energy developers and operators in recent years. The O&M planning of offshore wind farms is a complicated task, as it depends on many factors such as asset degradation rates, availability of resources required to perform maintenance tasks (e.g., transport vessels, service crew, spare parts, and special tools) as well as the uncertainties associated with weather and climate variability. A brief review of the literature shows that a lot of research has been conducted on optimizing the O&M schedules for fixed-bottom offshore wind turbines; however, the literature for O&M planning of floating wind farms is too limited. This paper presents a stochastic Petri network (SPN) model for O&M planning of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) and their support structure components, including floating platform, moorings and anchoring system. The proposed model incorporates all interrelationships between different factors influencing O&M planning of FOWTs, including deterioration and renewal process of components within the system. Relevant data such as failure rate, mean-time-to-failure (MTTF), degradation rate, etc. are collected from the literature as well as wind energy industry databases, and then the model is tested on an NREL 5 MW reference wind turbine system mounted on an OC3-Hywind spar buoy floating platform. The results indicate that our proposed model can significantly contribute to the reduction of O&M costs in the floating offshore wind sector.

scholarly journals Digital twins of the mooring line tension for floating offshore wind turbines to improve monitoring, lifespan, and safety

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake Walker ◽  
Andrea Coraddu ◽  
Maurizio Collu ◽  
Luca Oneto
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Mechanical Response ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Axial Tension ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Extreme Load ◽  
Operational Data

AbstractThe number of installed floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) has doubled since 2017, quadrupling the total installed capacity, and is expected to increase significantly over the next decade. Consequently, there is a growing consideration towards the main challenges for FOWT projects: monitoring the system’s integrity, extending the lifespan of the components, and maintaining FOWTs safely at scale. Effectively and efficiently addressing these challenges would unlock the wide-scale deployment of FOWTs. In this work, we focus on one of the most critical components of the FOWTs, the Mooring Lines (MoLs), which are responsible for fixing the structure to the seabed. The primary mechanical failure mechanisms in MoLs are extreme load and fatigue, both of which are functions of the axial tension. An effective solution to detect long-term drifts in the mechanical response of the MoLs is to develop a Digital Twin (DT) able to accurately predict the behaviour of the healthy system to compare with the actual one. Moreover, we will develop another DT able to accurately predict the near future axial tension as an effective tool to improve the lifespan of the MoLs and the safety of FOWT maintenance operations. In fact, by changing the FOWT operational settings, according to the DT prediction, operators can increase the lifespan of the MoLs by reducing the stress and, additionally, in the case where FOWT operational maintenance is in progress, the prediction from the DT can serve as early safety warning to operators. Authors will leverage operational data collected from the world’s first commercial floating-wind farm [the Hywind Pilot Park (https://www.equinor.com/en/what-we-do/floating-wind/hywind-scotland.html.)] in 2018, to investigate the effectiveness of DTs for the prediction of the MoL axial tension for the two scenarios depicted above. The DTs will be developed using state-of-the-art data-driven methods, and results based on real operational data will support our proposal.

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