Offshore steel fish farming facility integrated with multi vertical-axis wind turbines: A conceptual design and hydrodynamic analysis

Abstract

The concept presented in this study is a combination of multiple megawatt (MW) vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) with a floating steel fish-farming cage (MV-FSFFC). The design of this structure is described in detail, showing that a square shaped fishing cage accommodates four 3MW-VAWTs as the floating foundation. The hydrodynamic program WAMIT is employed to calculate the floater’s motion response amplitude operators (RAOs) in sinusoidal waves of varying periods. The results show that the hydrodynamic performance of MV-FSFFC is better than OC3Hywind spar and OC4DeepCwind semisubmersible. The taut mooring system is adopted by this concept for stationkeeping. For 100-year design waves, the deterministic and stochastic extreme analyses of the mooring dynamic model for Stokes 5th-order wave and short term random waves are carried out. The whole structure exhibits outstanding hydrodynamic performances for its significantly small motions. Technically, MV-FSFFC owns strong competitiveness and wide prospects in offshore industry for both power exploitation and marine aquaculture in intermediate and deep waters.