Numerical Analysis of FOWT Dynamics with Fully Coupled and Decoupled Methods: A Comparative Study

Shi Liu, Yi Yang, Tao Tao, Zheng Huang, Wei Jiang, Chaohe Chen and Xinkuan Yan ()
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Shi Liu: China Southern Power Grid Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510080, China
Yi Yang: China Southern Power Grid Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510080, China
Tao Tao: China Southern Power Grid Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510080, China
Zheng Huang: China Southern Power Grid Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 510080, China
Wei Jiang: Guangdong Branch, China Datang Corporation Ltd., Guangzhou 510000, China
Chaohe Chen: School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China
Xinkuan Yan: School of Marine Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 511442, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-23

Abstract: The numerical analysis technique is one of the primary methods for the design and development of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs). This study presents a detailed investigation into the influences of fully coupled and decoupled numerical analysis methods on the dynamic responses of a floating offshore wind turbine. The fully coupled analysis is implemented via bidirectional FAST-OrcaFlex co-simulation, considering the dynamic interaction between rotor operation and platform motions. The decoupled analysis is conducted using OrcaFlex for wave-induced response analysis, incorporating unidirectional imported FAST-based thrust time series. First, the numerical tools used for simulating fully coupled numerical model of OC5 DeepCwind are verified against published model test data, including free-decay test, white noise wave test and working condition test. Then, the fully coupled and decoupled numerical models are compared under wind fields of different turbulence intensities and wind speeds to reveal the dynamic coupling effects. The results indicate that the predictions of the decoupled model are more aligned with the experimental data compared to those of the fully coupled model under conditions of combined wave and steady winds. The differences between the fully coupled and decoupled models are minor under wave-only condition. However, under turbulent condition, the decoupled model overestimates surge by up to 10% and mooring tension by less than 5%, while pitch deviations can reach 17%. These findings support the use of the decoupled method in preliminary design stages—especially for mooring system optimal design—to save computational cost and time. For detailed designs involving turbulent winds, low-frequency structure response analysis or pitch-sensitive performance, the fully coupled approach is recommended to ensure accuracy. This study could offer practical guidance for selecting suitable numerical methods in FOWT design and analysis.

Keywords: floating offshore wind turbine; fully coupled and decoupled methods; dynamic responses (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: 2025
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