Experimental validation of the aero-servo design of a large-scale floating offshore wind turbine model

Abstract

Offshore floating wind turbines are such complex systems from the point of view of global dynamics that numerical models are often insufficient in describing completely and correctly their behavior. In this framework large scale models deployed in a natural outdoor environment are a valid complement in understanding the real features of the system and in updating or validating codes. In the case of wind turbines adopting a large scale allows to better reproduce the aerodynamic behavior of the rotor. Objective of the present work is the validation of the aerodynamic design of a large-scale 1:15 model of the DTU 10 MW wind turbine deployed on a multipurpose floating platform, built in the framework of the Horizon 2020 project termed as “The Blue Growth Farm Project”. It is requested to assess the effective aerodynamic characteristics of the rotor so to understand if the physical design is well respecting the aerodynamic properties requested in the design phase. Particular care is put in the correct reproduction of the operating parameters as part of the assessment of the control system. For initial analysis a good compliance between design and physical model is found. Regarding the aerodynamic characteristics, a good agreement between the experimental Cp values and the numerical curves is observed. Overall, the physical rotor aerodynamic design is validated and the power controller steady-state performances are assessed.