Comparison of Time and Frequency Domain Simulations of an Offshore Floating Wind Turbine

Abstract

Time domain simulations of an offshore floating wind turbine have been performed. Hydrodynamic impulse responses of the floating platform are calculated with linear hydrodynamic simulation tool ACHIL3D. A user defined module for the wind turbine design code FAST has been developed to calculate hydrodynamic and mooring loads on the structure. Resolution of the movements of the system is done with FAST. Simulation results in time domain are compared with frequency domain results. In the frequency domain model, the whole system is linearized. In the time domain model, the wind turbine model is not linearized. A good agreement between time and frequency domain calculations is observed, even for the pitch motion. Furthermore we observe a non linearity in the response of sway, roll and yaw degrees of freedom around 0.3 rad.s-1. The effect of viscous damping on the movements of the floating wind turbine system has been studied with the time domain model, and a non linear hydrostatic and Froude-Krylov load model has been developed. Effects of these non linear terms are shown.