Scale Effects on Heave Plates for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Author(s):  
Ana Bezunartea-Barrio ◽  
Sergio Fernandez-Ruano ◽  
Adolfo Maron-Loureiro ◽  
Enrique Molinelli-Fernandez ◽  
Francisco Moreno-Buron ◽  
...  

An essential aspect of experimental campaigns in ocean basins is the extrapolation of results to prototype scale. In the case of “spar” or semi-submersible platforms for floating wind turbines, it is customary to use heave plates that reduce the heave motion and/or tune its period. As part of the Hiprwind project, it was decided to study the scale effects on the hydrodynamics of these elements. To this aim, models of one column of the platform, equipped with a plain heave plate, were built. This model is a simplified representation of the actual one, which incorporates an edge vertical flap. The scales were 1:20, 1:27.6, and 1:45.45, with the former leading to added mass values of the order of 300kg, becoming one of the largest model for which experiments with heave oscillations have been carried out. Decay tests starting from various amplitudes and forced oscillations tests were performed at a range of frequencies and operational and extreme KCs (range of motion). Results related to these tests will be discussed in the paper.

Author(s):  
Ana Bezunartea-Barrio ◽  
Sergio Fernandez-Ruano ◽  
Adolfo Maron-Loureiro ◽  
Enrique Molinelli-Fernandez ◽  
Francisco Moreno-Buron ◽  
...  

Abstract In the case of SPAR or semi-submersible platforms for floating wind turbines, it is beneficial in some cases to use heave plates that reduce their heave motion amplitude and/or tune their heave natural period. As part of the Hiprwind project, it was decided to study scale effects on the hydrodynamics of this element. To this aim, models of one leg of the platform, equipped with a heave plate without any reinforcements, were built. This model is a simplified representation of the actual one, which incorporates a vertical flap on the heave plate edge. The scales were 1:20, 1:27.6, and 1:45.45, with the former leading to added mass values of the order of 300 kg, becoming one of the largest models for which experiments with heave oscillations have been carried out. Decay tests starting from various amplitudes and forced oscillations tests for a range of frequencies and amplitudes were performed. It is shown in the paper that the influence of the scale factor on the hydrodynamic coefficients is weaker than the effect that the motion amplitude (characterized with the Keulegan–Carpenter (KC) number produces in them. This result is relevant because the selection of a representative KC is an important and somewhat arbitrary aspect to be set in the linear potential simulation codes in order to add viscous damping. What has been shown herein is that a right selection of KC has a larger impact on the models than the uncertainties due to eventual scale effects in the heave-plates dynamics.


Author(s):  
Elena Anglada-Revenga ◽  
Ana Bezunartea-Barrio ◽  
Adolfo Maron-Loureiro ◽  
Enrique Molinelli-Fernandez ◽  
Julio Oria-Escudero ◽  
...  

Abstract Bezunartea et al. Scale Effects on Heave Plates for Semi-Submersible Floating Offshore Wind Turbines: Case Study With a Solid Plain Plate (Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, Vol. 11, pp 1–14, 2019) studied scale effects on the hydrodynamics of heave plates by conducting model scale experimental tests. Three models with different scales of one leg of the HiPRWind platform, equipped with a plain heave plate, were built and tested with forced harmonic heave motions. They showed that the influence of the model scale on the coefficients is clearly weaker than that of the heave motion amplitude. Among the pending tasks in that work was to conduct velocity field measurements of the flow with Particle Image Velocimetry techniques (PIV). This paper discusses some of the results of such measurements, carried out forcing vertical harmonic motions. In these measurements, it is assessed how significant scale effects are also in the local kinematics of the flow, thus complementing the global ones carried out in the referred work. From velocity and vorticity graphs, the flows show great similarities across the three scales, consistent with the ones found in the prequel paper. A metric has been developed whose outcomes are aligned with these results but further work is necessary to develop key indicators to compare flow fields from PIV across different scales.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3554
Author(s):  
Daniel Walia ◽  
Paul Schünemann ◽  
Hauke Hartmann ◽  
Frank Adam ◽  
Jochen Großmann

In order to tap the world wide offshore wind resources above deep waters, cost efficient floating platforms are inevitable. Tension-Leg Platforms (TLPs) could enable that crucial cost reduction in floating wind due to their smaller size and lighter weight compared to spars and semi-submersibles. The continuous development of the GICON®-TLP is driven by computer-aided engineering. So-called aero-hydro-servo-elastic coupled simulations are state-of-the-art for predicting loads and simulating the global system behavior for floating offshore wind turbines. Considering the complexity of such simulations, it is good scientific praxis to validate these numerical calculations by use of scaled model testing. This paper addresses the setup of the scaled model testing as carried out at the offshore basin of the École Centrale de Nantes, as well as the numerical model for the GICON®-TLP. The results of dedicated decay tests of the scaled model are used to validate the computational model at the first stage and to determine the natural frequencies of the system. Besides different challenges to the scaled model during the survey, it was possible to take these difficulties into account when updating the numerical model. The results show good agreements for the tank tests and the numerical model.


2014 ◽  
Vol 134 (8) ◽  
pp. 1096-1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sho Tsujimoto ◽  
Ségolène Dessort ◽  
Naoyuki Hara ◽  
Keiji Konishi

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 543
Author(s):  
Jiawen Li ◽  
Jingyu Bian ◽  
Yuxiang Ma ◽  
Yichen Jiang

A typhoon is a restrictive factor in the development of floating wind power in China. However, the influences of multistage typhoon wind and waves on offshore wind turbines have not yet been studied. Based on Typhoon Mangkhut, in this study, the characteristics of the motion response and structural loads of an offshore wind turbine are investigated during the travel process. For this purpose, a framework is established and verified for investigating the typhoon-induced effects of offshore wind turbines, including a multistage typhoon wave field and a coupled dynamic model of offshore wind turbines. On this basis, the motion response and structural loads of different stages are calculated and analyzed systematically. The results show that the maximum response does not exactly correspond to the maximum wave or wind stage. Considering only the maximum wave height or wind speed may underestimate the motion response during the traveling process of the typhoon, which has problems in guiding the anti-typhoon design of offshore wind turbines. In addition, the coupling motion between the floating foundation and turbine should be considered in the safety evaluation of the floating offshore wind turbine under typhoon conditions.


Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 475
Author(s):  
Payam Aboutalebi ◽  
Fares M’zoughi ◽  
Izaskun Garrido ◽  
Aitor J. Garrido

Undesired motions in Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWT) lead to reduction of system efficiency, the system’s lifespan, wind and wave energy mitigation and increment of stress on the system and maintenance costs. In this article, a new barge platform structure for a FOWT has been proposed with the objective of reducing these undesired platform motions. The newly proposed barge structure aims to reduce the tower displacements and platform’s oscillations, particularly in rotational movements. This is achieved by installing Oscillating Water Columns (OWC) within the barge to oppose the oscillatory motion of the waves. Response Amplitude Operator (RAO) is used to predict the motions of the system exposed to different wave frequencies. From the RAOs analysis, the system’s performance has been evaluated for representative regular wave periods. Simulations using numerical tools show the positive impact of the added OWCs on the system’s stability. The results prove that the proposed platform presents better performance by decreasing the oscillations for the given range of wave frequencies, compared to the traditional barge platform.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athul K. Sundarrajan ◽  
Yong Hoon Lee ◽  
James T. Allison ◽  
Daniel R. Herber

Abstract This paper discusses a framework to design elements of the plant and control systems for floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) in an integrated manner using linear parameter-varying models. Multiple linearized models derived from high-fidelity software are used to model the system in different operating regions characterized by the incoming wind speed. The combined model is then used to generate open-loop optimal control trajectories as part of a nested control co-design strategy that explores the system’s stability and power production in the context of crucial plant and control design decisions. A cost model is developed for the FOWT system, and the effect of plant decisions and subsequent power and stability response of the FOWT is quantified in terms of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for that system. The results show that the stability constraints and the plant design decisions affect the turbine’s power and, subsequently, LCOE of the system. The results indicate that a lighter plant in terms of mass can produce the same power for a lower LCOE while still satisfying the constraints.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Chen ◽  
Changhong Hu ◽  
Zhiqiang Hu

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) brings a new solution to overcome the challenges of Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) to better predict the dynamic responses with intelligent strategies. A new AI-based software-in-the-loop method, named SADA is introduced in this paper for the prediction of dynamic responses of FOWTs, which is proposed based on an in-house programme DARwind. DARwind is a coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic in-house program for FOWTs, and a reinforcement learning method with exhaust algorithm and deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) are embedded in DARwind as an AI module. Firstly, the methodology is introduced with the selection of Key Disciplinary Parameters (KDPs). Secondly, Brute-force Method and DDPG algorithms are adopted to changes the KDPs’ values according to the feedback of 6DOF motions of Hywind Spar-type platform through comparing the DARwind simulation results and those of basin experimental data. Therefore, many other dynamic responses that cannot be measured in basin experiment can be predicted in good accuracy with SADA method. Finally, the case study of SADA method was conducted and the results demonstrated that the mean values of the platform’s motions can be predicted with higher accuracy. This proposed SADA method takes advantage of numerical-experimental method, basin experimental data and the machine learning technology, which brings a new and promising solution for overcoming the handicap impeding direct use of conventional basin experimental way to analyze FOWT’s dynamic responses during the design phase.


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