Modeling and validation of a tuned liquid multi-column damper stabilized floating offshore wind turbine coupled system

Abstract

Reducing the motion and loads through structural control has been studied and commercialized for decades. For floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs), tuned liquid multi-column dampers (TLMCDs) are proposed due to their geometric flexibility and bi-directional damping effect. One of the barriers to the application of such a concept is the lack of a sophisticated numerical tool capable of reproducing the coupled dynamics. This work demonstrates a numerical model for TLMCD stabilized FOWT systems and its simulation capability. A Lagrangian mechanics based method is used for the TLMCD and is coupled into the aero-hydro-servo-elastic numerical models for FOWTs. A simplified and linearized formulation is derived for TLMCDs with uniform cross-sectional-area, which can be integrated into different codes of FOWTs. Two campaigns of model tests are performed to evaluate the capability of the model. The first campaign considers only the stand-alone TLMCD, while in the second campaign, the TLMCD is installed in a scaled 10MW FOWT and tested in a wave tank. Different load cases are tested, simulated and compared. The comparison between simulation and experiment shows the promising functionality of the TLMCD model. The coupled model is well capable of reproducing the dynamic behavior of the coupled system.