Preliminary Design of a Multi-Column TLP Foundation for a 5-MW Offshore Wind Turbine

Yongsheng Zhao, Jianmin Yang and Yanping He
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Yongsheng Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
Jianmin Yang: State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
Yanping He: State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China

Energies, 2012, vol. 5, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Currently, floating wind turbines (FWTs) may be the more economical and suitable systems with which to exploit offshore wind energy in deep waters. Among the various types of floating foundations for offshore wind farms, a tension leg platform (TLP) foundation can provide a relatively stable platform for currently available offshore wind turbines without requiring major modifications. In this study, a new multi-column TLP foundation (WindStar TLP) was developed for the NREL 5-MW offshore wind turbine according to site-specific environmental conditions, which are the same as the OC3-Hywind (NREL) conditions. The general arrangement, main structure and mooring system were also designed and investigated through hydrodynamic and natural frequency analyses. The complete system avoids resonance through the rotor excitations. An aero-hydro-servo-elastic coupled analysis was carried out in the time domain with the numerical tool FAST. Statistics of the key parameters were obtained and analysed and comparisons to MIT/NREL TLP are made. As a result, the design requirements were shown to be satisfied, and the proposed WindStar TLP was shown to have favourable motion characteristics under extreme wind and wave conditions with a lighter and smaller structure. The new concept holds great potential for further development.

Keywords: floating wind turbine (FWT); offshore wind; tension leg platform; preliminary design; natural frequency analysis (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: 2012
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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