A new conceptual design and dynamic analysis of a spar-type offshore wind turbine combined with a moonpool

Abstract

Floating offshore wind turbines promise to provide an abundant source of energy. Currently, much attention is being paid to the efficient performance and the economics of floating wind systems. This paper aims to develop a spar-type platform to support a 5-MW reference wind turbine at a water depth of 150 m. The spar-type platform includes a moonpool at the center. The design optimization process is composed of three steps; the first step uses a spreadsheet to calculate the platform dimensions; the second step is a frequency domain analysis of the responses in wave conditions; and the final step is a fully coupled simulation time domain analysis to obtain the dynamic responses in combined wind, wave, and current conditions. By having a water column inside the open moonpool, the system’s dynamic responses to horizontal and rotating motions are significantly reduced. Reduction of these motions leads to a reduction in the nacelle acceleration and tower base bending moment. On the basic of optimization processes, a spar-type platform combined with a moonpool is suggested, which has good performance in both operational conditions and extreme conditions.