Abstract
The spar buoy platform for offshore wind turbines is the most utilized type and the OC3 Hywind system design is largely used in research. This system is usually moored with three catenary cables with 120° between each other. Adding clump weights to the mooring lines has an influence on the platform response and on the mooring line tension. However, the optimal choice for their position and weight is still an open issue, especially considering the multitude of sea states the platform can be exposed to. In this study, therefore, an analysis on the influence of two such variables on the platform response and on the mooring line tension is presented. FAST by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is used to perform time domain simulations and Response Amplitude Operators are adopted as the main indicators of the clump weights effects. Results show that the clump weight mass is not as influential as the position, which turns out to be optimal, especially for the Surge degree of freedom, when closest to the platform.
Highlights
Wind turbines are used as alternative energy harvesters in order to reduce CO2 emissions.In particular, the offshore sector is being largely explored because of its higher wind potential compared to the onshore one
Floating offshore wind turbines play a key role at the moment, allowing an increase in the siting possibilities for offshore wind energy plants by exploiting areas characterized by deep water
The OC3 Hywind is a spar buoy-type wind turbine with three slack catenary mooring lines and it is equipped on the top with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW offshore reference wind turbine [26], which is largely adopted as a benchmark model for the comparison of different simulation tools
Summary
Wind turbines are used as alternative energy harvesters in order to reduce CO2 emissions.In particular, the offshore sector is being largely explored because of its higher wind potential compared to the onshore one. In deep water, the atmospheric conditions are more profitable in comparison with coastal areas so offshore wind farms have been more widely employed in recent years. Deep water areas do not allow for fixed bottom-type wind turbines, due to the unsustainable cost of the foundation. Floating offshore wind turbines play a key role at the moment, allowing an increase in the siting possibilities for offshore wind energy plants by exploiting areas characterized by deep water (e.g., the Mediterranean Sea). The average distance to shore (59 km) and water depth (33 m) continue to increase even though most wind farms are bottom-fixed [3]. Floating wind turbines are a future key of the European wind energy sector, allowing the exploitation of deep water sites, such as those available in the Mediterranean Sea
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