Design and performance analysis of control algorithm for a floating wind turbine on a large semi-submersible platform

Abstract

A control algorithm for a floating wind turbine installed on a large semi-submersible platform is investigated in this study. The floating wind turbine is different from other typical semi-submersible floating wind turbines in that the platform is so large that the platform motion is not affected by the blade pitch control. For simulation, the hydrodynamic forces data were obtained from ANSYS/AQWA, and implemented to Bladed. For the basic pitch controller, the well-known technique to increase damping by reducing the bandwidth of the controller lower than the platform pitch mode was implemented. Also, to reduce the tower load in the pitch control region, a tower damper based on the nacelle angular acceleration signal was designed. Compared with the results obtained from an onshore wind turbine controller applied to the floating wind turbine, the floating wind turbine controller could reduce the tower moments effectively, however, the standard deviation in power increased significantly.