Modeling a Non-Linear Mooring System for Floating Offshore Wind Using a Hydraulic Cylinder Analogy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus J. Harrold ◽  
Philipp R. Thies ◽  
David Newsam ◽  
Claudio Bittencourt Ferreira ◽  
Lars Johanning
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Model ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Hydrodynamic Stability ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Hydraulic Cylinder ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Linear Deformation ◽  
Non Linear

Abstract The mooring system for a floating offshore wind turbine is a critical sub-system that ensures the safe station keeping of the platform and has a key influence on hydrodynamic stability. R&D efforts have increasingly explored the benefits of nonlinear mooring systems for this application, as they have the potential to reduce the peak mooring loads and fatigue cycling, ultimately reducing the system cost. This paper reports on a hydraulic based mooring component that possesses these characteristics, attributable mostly to the non-linear deformation of a flexible bladder. This is not a typical hydraulic component and, as a consequence, modeling its dynamic performance is non-trivial. This paper addresses this by introducing an analogy to numerically model the system, in which the functionality of the mooring component is compared to that of a hydraulic cylinder. The development of a working model in Simscape Fluids is outlined, and is subsequently used to simulate the IMS in a realistic environment. It is found that the numerical model captures a number of the dynamic performance characteristics observed in a previously tested prototype of the IMS.

scholarly journals Proposal and Performance Study of a Novel Mooring System with Six Mooring Lines for Spar-Type Offshore Wind Turbines

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 11665
Author(s):  
Shi Liu ◽  
Yi Yang ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
Yuangang Tu
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Irregular Waves ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
Included Angle ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Spar-type floating offshore wind turbines commonly vibrate excessively when under the coupling impact of wind and wave. The wind turbine vibration can be controlled by developing its mooring system. Thus, this study proposes a novel mooring system for the spar-type floating offshore wind turbine. The proposed mooring system has six mooring lines, which are divided into three groups, with two mooring lines in the same group being connected to the same fairlead. Subsequently, the effects of the included angle between the two mooring lines on the mooring-system’s performance are investigated. Then, these six mooring lines are connected to six independent fairleads for comparison. FAST is utilized to calculate wind turbine dynamic response. Wind turbine surge, pitch, and yaw movements are presented and analyzed in time and frequency domains to quantitatively evaluate the performances of the proposed mooring systems. Compared with the mooring system with six fairleads, the mooring system with three fairleads performed better. When the included angle was 40°, surge, pitch, and yaw movement amplitudes of the wind turbine reduced by 39.51%, 6.8%, and 12.34%, respectively, when under regular waves; they reduced by 56.08%, 25.00%, and 47.5%, respectively, when under irregular waves. Thus, the mooring system with three fairleads and 40° included angle is recommended.

Parametric Study of Catenary Mooring System for a Semisubmersible Floating Wind Turbine in Intermediate Water Depth

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiawen Li ◽  
Qiang Zhang ◽  
Jiali Du ◽  
Yichen Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Reference Structure ◽  
Intermediate Water ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Floating Wind Turbine

Abstract This paper presents a parametric design study of the mooring system for a floating offshore wind turbine. We selected the OC4 DeepCwind semisubmersible floating wind turbine as the reference structure. The design water depth was 50 m, which was the transition area between the shallow and deep waters. For the floating wind turbine working in this water area, the restoring forces and moments provided by the mooring lines were significantly affected by the heave motion amplitude of the platform. Thus, the mooring design for the wind turbine in this working depth was different from the deep-water catenary mooring system. In this study, the chosen design parameters were declination angle, fairlead position, mooring line length, environmental load direction, and mooring line number. We conducted fully coupled aero-hydro dynamic simulations of the floating wind turbine system in the time domain to investigate the influences of different mooring configurations on the platform motion and the mooring tension. We evaluated both survival and accidental conditions to analyze the mooring safety under typhoon and mooring fail conditions. On the basis of the simulation results, this study made several design recommendations for the mooring configuration for floating wind turbines in intermediate water depth applied in China.

Dynamic Responses of a Spar Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine With Failed Moorings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yajun Ren ◽  
Vengatesan Venugopal
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Platform Motions

Abstract The complex dynamic characteristics of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) have raised wider consideration, as they are likely to experience harsher environments and higher instabilities than the bottom fixed offshore wind turbines. Safer design of a mooring system is critical for floating offshore wind turbine structures for station keeping. Failure of mooring lines may lead to further destruction, such as significant changes to the platform’s location and possible collisions with a neighbouring platform and eventually complete loss of the turbine structure may occur. The present study focuses on the dynamic responses of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)’s OC3-Hywind spar type floating platform with a NREL offshore 5-MW baseline wind turbine under failed mooring conditions using the fully coupled numerical simulation tool FAST. The platform motions in surge, heave and pitch under multiple scenarios are calculated in time-domain. The results describing the FOWT motions in the form of response amplitude operators (RAOs) and spectral densities are presented and discussed in detail. The results indicate that the loss of the mooring system firstly leads to longdistance drift and changes in platform motions. The natural frequencies and the energy contents of the platform motion, the RAOs of the floating structures are affected by the mooring failure to different degrees.

scholarly journals Design Optimization and Coupled Dynamics Analysis of an Offshore Wind Turbine with a Single Swivel Connected Tether

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieyan Chen ◽  
Chengxi Li
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Design Optimization ◽  
Time Domain ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Coupled Systems ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Elastic Model ◽  
Dynamics Analysis ◽  
Coupled Dynamics

The increased interest in renewable wind energy has stimulated many offshore wind turbine concepts. This paper presents a design optimization and a coupled dynamics analysis of a platform with a single tether anchored to the seabed supported for a 5 MW baseline wind turbine. The design is based on a concept named SWAY. We conduct a parametric optimization process that accounts for important design considerations in the static and dynamic view, such as the stability, natural frequency, performance requirements, and cost feasibility. Through these optimization processes, we obtain and present the optimized model. We then establish the fully coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic model by the time-domain simulation tool FAST (Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, and Turbulence) with the hydrodynamic coefficients from an indoor program HydroGen. We conduct extensive time-domain simulations with various wind and wave conditions to explore the effects of wind speed and wave significant height on the dynamic performance of the optimized SWAY model in various water depths. The swivel connection between the platform and tether is the most special design for the SWAY model. Thus, we compare the performance of models with different tether connection designs, based on the platform motions, nacelle velocity, nacelle accelerations, resonant behaviors, and the damping of the coupled systems. The results of these comparisons demonstrate the advantage of the optimized SWAY model with the swivel connection. From these analyses, we prove that the optimized SWAY model is a good candidate for deep water deployment.

Dynamic Load Reduction and Station Keeping Mooring System for Floating Offshore Wind

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus J. Harrold ◽  
Philipp R. Thies ◽  
Lars Johanning ◽  
David Newsam ◽  
Michael Checkley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Extreme Conditions ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Load Reduction ◽  
Station Keeping ◽  
Physical Test ◽  
Peak Loads ◽  
Non Linear

The mooring system for a floating offshore wind turbine ensures that the platform stays within pre-defined station keeping limits during operation, while it provides sufficient restraining forces in storm events to guarantee survival. This presents a challenge during the design process, since the cost of the mooring system is proportional to the peak loads, i.e. those that occur infrequently in extreme conditions. Mooring designs are governed by extreme and fatigue loads which determine the required Minimum Breaking Load (MBL) of the system. If uncertainties in the environmental loading or hydrodynamic coupled response exist, additional safety factors are required. This paper explores the application of a hydraulic based mooring system that enables a variable, non-linear line stiffness characteristic that cannot be achieved with conventional designs. This non-linear load-response behavior could function like a ‘shock absorber’ in the mooring system, and thus reduce the line tensions, enabling a more efficient mooring system that necessitates a lower MBL and thus lower cost. These claims are evaluated through numerical modelling of the NREL OC3 spar buoy and OC4 semi-submersible offshore wind platforms using the FAST-OrcaFlex interface. The simulations compare the dynamics with and without the inclusion of the hydraulic mooring component. The results suggest that mean mooring line loads can be reduced in the region of 9–17% through a combination of lower static and dynamic loads, while the peak loads observed in extreme conditions were reduced by 17–18%. These load reductions, however, come at the expense of some additional platform motion. The paper also provides an outlook to an upcoming physical test campaign that will aim to better understand the performance and reliability of the mooring component, which will provide the necessary evidence to support these load reduction claims.

Estimation of Risk of Progressive Drifts in a Wind Farm Caused by Collision of Drift Ship

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eiji Hirokawa ◽  
Hideyuki Suzuki ◽  
Shinichiro Hirabayashi ◽  
Minon Muratake
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Mooring Line ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Environmental Load ◽  
Collision Process ◽  
Tank Experiment ◽  
Estimation Of Risk

In off-shore wind turbine, it is difficult to determine the risk of accident caused by the mooring destruction through experiment. In this paper, the authors discuss the risk, with the case of a drifting ship wanders into the wind farm. In the design of a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT), drift of a FOWT is considered as a serious failure mode and the mooring system must be designed to avoid the failure. The failure of mooring line is not initiated just by extreme environmental load but can be initiated by collision with a drifting ship, which enters the wind farm. This phenomenon is difficult to investigate by a tank experiment. So far, little knowledge exists about the phenomenon. In this research, a simulator to reproduce the collision process of a FOWT and a drift ship and a progressive drift of FOWTs in a wind farm was developed. Using this simulator and statistics of drift incidents of a ship, a procedure to evaluate risk of progressive drifts in a wind farm was established. In that case, second accident that a wind turbine which has started drifting caused by the drifting ship collides with one another wind turbine is expected. As a result, the risk mainly depends on the risk of drifting caused by a large displaced ship. In addition, the risk partly depends on the arrangement of wind farm.

Development of Floating Offshore Wind Turbine and the Mooring System

2013 ◽  
Vol 790 ◽  
pp. 634-637
Author(s):  
Xue Liang Zhao ◽  
Wei Ming Gong
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Energy Demands

The offshore wind turbine, especially the floating offshore wind turbine in the deep sea is a perspective technology in the context of increasing energy demands. Mooring system, as an important unit of the floating offshore wind turbine is emphasized. The methods of in-situ test and the laboratory experimental tests are reviewed. Some new testing methods are discussed. The most commonly used anchor systems are explored. The paper aims to present some future research work that is important for the development of the floating offshore wind turbine technology.

Coupled Numerical Analysis of a Concept TLB Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iman Ramzanpoor ◽  
Martin Nuernberg ◽  
Longbin Tao
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Second Order ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Floating Platform ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

Abstract The main drivers for the continued decarbonisation of the global energy market are renewable energy sources. Moreover, the leading technological solutions to achieve this are offshore wind turbines. As installed capacity has been increasing rapidly and shallow water near shore sites are exhausted, projects will need to be developed further from shore and often in deeper waters, which will pose greater technical challenges and constrain efforts to reduce costs. Current floating platform solutions such as the spar and semi-submersible rely on large amounts of ballast and complex structural designs with active stabilisation systems for stability of the floating offshore wind turbine platform (FOWT). The primary focus of this study is to present a design concept and mooring arrangement for an alternative floating platform solution that places emphasis on the mooring system to achieve stability for a FOWT. The tension leg buoy (TLB) is designed to support future 10MW offshore wind turbine generators. This paper presents the numerical methodology used for a coupled hydro-elastic analysis of the floater and mooring system under combined wind, wave and current effects. A concept TLB design is presented and its platform motion and mooring line tension characteristics are analysed for a three-hour time domain simulation representing operating and survival conditions in the northern North Sea with water depths of 110 metres. The importance of wave drift forces and the other non-linear excitation forces in the concept design stage are evaluated by comparing the motion and tension responses of three different numerical simulation cases with increasing numerical complexity. The preliminary TLB system design demonstrated satisfactory motion response for the operation of a FOWT and survival in a 100-year storm condition. The results show that accounting for second-order effect is vital in terms of having a clear understanding of the full behaviour of the system and the detailed response characteristics in operational and survival conditions. Extreme loads are significantly reduced when accounting for the second-order effects. This can be a key aspect to not overdesign the system and consequently achieve significant cost savings.

Effects of Fish Nets on the Nonlinear Dynamic Performance of a Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Integrated with a Steel Fish Farming Cage

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (03) ◽  
pp. 2050042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Lei ◽  
S. X. Zhao ◽  
X. Y. Zheng ◽  
W. Li
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Nonlinear Dynamic ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Fish Farming ◽  
Ocean Waves ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Sea

This paper aims to study the effects of fish nets on the nonlinear dynamic performance of a floating offshore wind turbine integrated with a steel fish farming cage (FOWT-SFFC). Fully coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic numerical models of FOWT-SFFC, with and without nets, are constructed to probe the nonlinear time-domain stochastic response. The first-order potential flow model with quadratic drag forces is employed to calculate the hydrodynamic loading on the foundation. The effects of nets on the damping ratios of 6 degree-of-freedom motions and on their displacement response amplitude operators (RAOs) are respectively investigated in numerical decay tests and monochromatic regular waves. The results show that the nets help to increase the damping level for the whole system and reduce motion RAOs when wave periods are around the natural periods of motions, while nets play insignificant role in motions when wave periods are far away from motion natural periods. The dynamic performances of FOWT-SFFC with and without nets under random ocean waves, the combined random wind and random waves as well as current are comprehensively compared and discussed. The simulation results indicate that in wind-sea dominated conditions, the nets tend to slightly increase the dynamic responses of FOWT-SFFC, especially the components corresponding to natural periods. Nonetheless, under sea states that comprise both wind-sea waves and swell, nets help to reduce the dynamic responses of FOWT-SFFC by introducing additional damping.

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