Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Kimon Argyriadis, kimon@argyriadis@gl-group.com

Hamburg Offshore Wind, 6th May 2010
 History of Modern Offshore Wind Turbines

100
m

50m

0m

-
30m

Tuno Knob Horns Rev Q7

Alpha Ventus
Offshore Foundations, Fixed

Horns Rev Alpha Ventus Alpha Ventus Frederikshavn Nysted

& Beatrice
Source: Upwind WP4
 Deepwater Wind Energy

• Best resource available

• Greater choice of sites
• Mediterranean
(Greece, France, Spain)
• US (East and West
coast),
Norway,
East Asia (China,
Japan, Korea)…
• Distance to sensitive areas
• Near big consumer centres
New York, Tokyo,...
 Fixed Offshore Wind Turbines Limits
• Monopiles (≈ 35 m)
• Length, mass, diameter
(transport, installation, piling)
• Frequency (resonance)
• Plate thickness (manufacture)
• Tripod (≈ 50 m)
• Size, mass (transport and
installation)
• Member diameter, thickness
(manufacture)
• Cost (construction complexity)
• Jacket (≈ 70 m)
• Cost (construction complexity)
• Size (transport & installation)
Deep Water:
Experience from Oil and Gas Industry

Source: NREL
Source: NREL
Differences of Oil and Gas Industry vs Wind
Hazards
• Safety of life
• Safety of environment
• Safety of structure
Production different
• Mass vs. prototypes
Loading
• Horizontal vs. vertical
Location
• Dynamic vs. static
• Water depth
• Actively controlled vs.
passive Size • Distance to shore Cost
Challenges for Floating Wind Turbines

Floating body
• Floatability, stability
• Hydrodynamic loading
Station keeping
• Mooring
• High dynamic loads
Turbine
• Soft system
• Aero- hydroelastic coupling
• Control system interaction
Power transfer
• Dynamically loaded power cables
 Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Source: ECN Source: Statoil Source: GH

Trifloat, Semisubmersible and Barge Systems
• Stability achieved by
buoyancy
• High deflections and heel
angles
• Interaction with
aerodynamics and control
system
• Turbine to be designed for
acceleration
• Catenary or taut mooring
• Varying complexity
• Drydocking possible
Spar Buoy Systems

• Stability by ballast
• Simple, inexpensive structure
• For very high depths, only
• High mass
• High deflections and heel
angles
• Interaction with aerodynamics,
control system and mooring
• Special or modified turbine
design
• Catenary or taut mooring
(Yaw control -> complicated
taut mooring)
Tension Leg Platforms
• Stability from mooring force
• Stable platform, low roll and
pitch angles
• Small mooring area
• Expensive taut mooring
(pre-stressed cables)
Cables have to be always in
tension
• Prone to fatigue loading
(connections)
• Sensitive to yaw load
• High water depth required
Critical Component: Mooring
• Absorb dynamic loads, transfer
load to seabed
• Catenary (by displacement),
taut (by elastic properties)
• Influence on system dynamics
(stiffness, damping, mass)

• One broken line mooring analysis

(survival mooring?)
• Life time of 20 years
• Several materials possible, with
different behaviour
• Mooring inspection required

Vryhof Anchor Manual

Critical Design Issue: Load Analysis
• Aerodynamic and
hydrodynamic load
• Consideration of dynamics
• body movement
• mooring
• large deflection
• Interaction with control system
• New simulation codes under
development, but need to be
validated
• Model tests
• Prototype tests
• New load cases needed
S. Butterfield, et al. „Engineering Challenges for
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines „
Turbine Design and Certification Procedure
Onshore Fixed Offshore Floating Offshore
Turbine Floating Offshore
OWT Design
Design Turbine Design

Prototype Test Prototype Test

Prototype Test Model Tests
Onshore Onshore

Verification Verification Offshore Prototype Test

Commercial Commercial Verification

Turbine OWT

Commercial FOWT
Bjørn Skaare et al, Integrated Dynamic Analysis of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines
Project Certification

Site Specific Design

Design Basis
Assessment of Turbine, Type Certificate
(incl. Site
Mooring and Floating
Conditions)
Body

Comm. Manufacturer
Inspection Project Certificate Surveillance

Transport
Collision and Installation
Analysis Periodic Monitoring Inspection
Conclusion
• In order to achieve the global targets
deep water offshore wind has to be
developed
• Floating wind turbines feasible
• A variety of designs is proposed, Source: Blue H
first prototypes built or under development
• Complicated structures imposing challenges in
engineering
• Use of offshore and wind industry experience
• Optimized engineering methods under development
• Guidelines need to be developed
Source: Statoil