Advancing Offshore Renewable Energy: Integrative Approaches in Floating Offshore Wind Turbine-Oscillating Water Column Systems Using Artificial Intelligence-Driven Regressive Modeling and Proportional-Integral-Derivative Control

Abstract

This research investigates the integration of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) with Oscillating Water Columns (OWCs) to enhance sustainable energy generation, focusing on addressing dynamic complexities and uncertainties inherent in such systems. The novelty of this study lies in its dual approach, which integrates regressive modeling with an aero-hydro-elasto-servo-mooring coupled system with a deep data-driven network and implements a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control mechanism to improve system stability. By employing Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), the study circumvents the challenges of real-time closed-loop control on FOWT structures using the OpenFAST simulation tool. Data-driven models, trained on OpenFAST datasets, facilitate real-time predictive behavior analysis and decision-making. Advanced computational learning techniques, particularly ANNs, accurately replicate the dynamics of FOWT-OWC numerical models. An intelligent PID control mechanism is subsequently applied to mitigate structural vibrations, ensuring effective control. A comparative analysis with traditional barge-based FOWT systems underscores the enhanced modeling and control methodologies’ effectiveness. In this sense, the experimental results demonstrate substantial reductions in the mean oscillation amplitude, with reductions from 5% to 35% observed across various scenarios. Specifically, at a wave period from 20 s and a wind speed of 5 m/s, the fore-aft displacement was reduced by 35%, exemplifying the PID control system’s robustness and efficacy under diverse conditions. This study highlights the potential of ANN-driven modeling as an alternative to managing the complex non-linear dynamics of NREL 5 MW FOWT models and underscores the significant improvements in system stability through tailored PID gain scheduling across various operational scenarios.