An Offshore Floating Wind–Solar–Aquaculture System: Concept Design and Extreme Response in Survival Conditions

Xiangyuan Zheng, Huadong Zheng, Yu Lei, Yi Li and Wei Li
Additional contact information
Xiangyuan Zheng: Division of Ocean Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen 518005, China
Huadong Zheng: Division of Ocean Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen 518005, China
Yu Lei: Division of Ocean Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen 518005, China
Yi Li: Division of Ocean Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen 518005, China
Wei Li: Powerchina Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited, Hangzhou 311122, China

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-23

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 m 2 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.

Keywords: floating foundation; vertical-axis wind turbines; steel fish farming; combined solar–wind–aquaculture system; hydrodynamic analysis; survival conditions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/3/604/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/3/604/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:3:p:604-:d:314465

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().