Abstract
This study presents a new concept design combining multiple megawatt (MW) vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) and a solar array with a floating steel fish-farming cage. This combined wind–solar–aquaculture (WSA) system is intended to utilize the ocean space and water resources more effectively and more economically, while greatly shortening the payback period of investment in offshore power generation. The details of this WSA design are described, showing that a square-shaped fishing cage serves as a floating foundation for the 7600 m2 solar array and four multi MW VAWTs. The WAMIT program based on potential-flow theory is employed to obtain the WSA’s motion response amplitude operators (RAOs) in sinusoidal waves of varying periods. The motion RAOs indicated that the proposed concept possesses better hydrodynamic seakeeping performances than its OC3Hywind spar and OC4DeepCwind semi-submersible counterparts. A potential site located in the northwest South China Sea is selected to deploy the WSA. Its feasibility is then examined in terms of the hydrodynamic motions and structural dynamic response driven by wind, waves, and current. Fully coupled time-domain simulations are carried out for 50-year survival conditions. The whole structure exhibits outstanding performance for its small motions in random wind and seas. Moreover, under these survival conditions, the top accelerations and tower base stresses of the VAWTs and mooring line tensions readily meet the design requirements. Technically, the WSA has strong competitiveness and wide prospects in the offshore industry for both power exploitation and marine aquaculture in intermediate and deep waters.
Highlights
In order to reduce the massive greenhouse gas emissions from conventional fossil foils and ensure energy sustainable development, natural renewable energy exploitation is more needed than ever.Among all possible natural energy resources, wind and solar energies are considered as the most promising alternatives to fossil foils
Rotation levels mainly rely on the wind–solar–aquaculture system (WSA)’s inherent characteristics such as moment inertias and the relative distance between center of and gravity (CG) and center buoyancy (CB), while the station keeping depends on the mooring system
They are coupled multi-body dynamics, as the wind tower, for a flexible structure. Calculation of such in a multi-body dynamics, as the wind tower, for instance, is a flexible structure. Calculation of such a coupled dynamic response has to be handled in the time domain as in the following equation: coupled dynamic response has to be handled in the time domain as in the following equation: Z +∞
Summary
In order to reduce the massive greenhouse gas emissions from conventional fossil foils and ensure energy sustainable development, natural renewable energy exploitation is more needed than ever. As a matter of fact, none of the above-mentioned floating platforms make full use of the huge space created by the foundation, whereas this huge underwater space could be used for the aquaculture industry without compromising the efficiency of wind power generation and the dynamic performance of the floater This philosophy, inspired the authors to conceive of a floating wind turbine foundation with a steel fishing cage, which is an attractive approach to significantly reduce the long payback period of floating wind turbines, while achieving the goal of fully utilizing the marine resources. Turbines (VAWTs) and a solar array with a floating steel fish-farming cagevertical-axis is proposed.wind. WSA structure; (b) straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT); (c) arrangement of the solar top view.
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