scholarly journals Review of Experimental-Numerical Methodologies and Challenges for Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-361
Author(s):  
Peng Chen ◽  
Jiahao Chen ◽  
Zhiqiang Hu
Keyword(s):  
Control Strategies ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Structural Dynamic ◽  
Hybrid Approaches ◽  
Global Dynamic ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Calibration Methods ◽  
Industrial Projects

Abstract Due to the dissimilar scaling issues, the conventional experimental method of FOWTs can hardly be used directly to validate the full-scale global dynamic responses accurately. Therefore, it is of absolute necessity to find a more accurate, economic and efficient approach, which can be utilized to predict the full-scale global dynamic responses of FOWTs. In this paper, a literature review of experimental-numerical methodologies and challenges for FOWTs is made. Several key challenges in the conventional basin experiment issues are discussed, including scaling issues; coupling effects between aero-hydro and structural dynamic responses; blade pitch control strategies; experimental facilities and calibration methods. Several basin experiments, industrial projects and numerical codes are summarized to demonstrate the progress of hybrid experimental methods. Besides, time delay in hardware-in-the-loop challenges is concluded to emphasize their significant role in real-time hybrid approaches. It is of great use to comprehend these methodologies and challenges, which can help some future researchers to make a footstone for proposing a more efficient and functional hybrid basin experimental and numerical method.

Model Test and Numerical Analysis of an Offshore Bottom Fixed Pentapod Wind Turbine Under Seismic Loads

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenhua Wang ◽  
Zhen Gao ◽  
Xin Li ◽  
Torgeir Moan ◽  
Bin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Wave ◽  
Seismic Analysis ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Test Model ◽  
Structural Dynamic ◽  
Load Conditions

In the last decade the wind energy industry has developed rapidly in China, especially offshore. For a water depth less than 20m, monopile and multi-pile substructures (tripod, pentapod) are applied widely in offshore wind farms. Some wind farms in China are located in high seismicity regions, thus, the earthquake load may become the dominant load for offshore wind turbines. This paper deals with the seismic behavior of an offshore wind turbine (OWT) consisting of the NREL 5MW baseline wind turbine, a pentapod substructure and a pile foundation of a real offshore wind turbine in China. A test model of the OWT is designed based on the hydro-elastic similarity. Test cases of different load combinations are performed with the environmental conditions generated by the Joint Earthquake, Wave and Current Simulation System and the Simple Wind Field Generation System at Dalian University of Technology, China, in order to investigate the structural dynamic responses under different load conditions. In the tests, a circular disk is used to model the rotor-nacelle system, and a force gauge is fixed at the center of the disk to measure the wind forces during the tests. A series of accelerometers are arranged along the model tower and the pentapod piles, and strain gauges glued on the substructure members are intended to measure the structural dynamic responses. A finite element model of the complete wind turbine is also established in order to compare the theoretical results with the test data. The hydro-elastic similarity is validated based on the comparison of the measured dynamic characteristics and the results of the prototype modal analysis. The numerical results agree well with the experimental data. Based on the comparisons of the results, the effect of the wind and sea loads on the structural responses subjected to seismic is demonstrated, especially the influence on the global response of the structure. It is seen that the effect of the combined seismic, wind, wave and current load conditions can not be simply superimposed. Hence the interaction effect in the seismic analysis should be considered when the wind, wave and current loads have a non-negligible effect.

Software-in-the-Loop Combined Machine Learning for Dynamic Responses Analysis of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Chen ◽  
Changhong Hu ◽  
Zhiqiang Hu
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Experimental Data ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Brute Force Method

Abstract Artificial intelligence (AI) brings a new solution to overcome the challenges of Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) to better predict the dynamic responses with intelligent strategies. A new AI-based software-in-the-loop method, named SADA is introduced in this paper for the prediction of dynamic responses of FOWTs, which is proposed based on an in-house programme DARwind. DARwind is a coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic in-house program for FOWTs, and a reinforcement learning method with exhaust algorithm and deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) are embedded in DARwind as an AI module. Firstly, the methodology is introduced with the selection of Key Disciplinary Parameters (KDPs). Secondly, Brute-force Method and DDPG algorithms are adopted to changes the KDPs’ values according to the feedback of 6DOF motions of Hywind Spar-type platform through comparing the DARwind simulation results and those of basin experimental data. Therefore, many other dynamic responses that cannot be measured in basin experiment can be predicted in good accuracy with SADA method. Finally, the case study of SADA method was conducted and the results demonstrated that the mean values of the platform’s motions can be predicted with higher accuracy. This proposed SADA method takes advantage of numerical-experimental method, basin experimental data and the machine learning technology, which brings a new and promising solution for overcoming the handicap impeding direct use of conventional basin experimental way to analyze FOWT’s dynamic responses during the design phase.

Dynamic Responses of a Spar Type Floating Offshore Wind Turbine With Failed Moorings

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yajun Ren ◽  
Vengatesan Venugopal
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Mooring System ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Platform Motions

Abstract The complex dynamic characteristics of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines (FOWTs) have raised wider consideration, as they are likely to experience harsher environments and higher instabilities than the bottom fixed offshore wind turbines. Safer design of a mooring system is critical for floating offshore wind turbine structures for station keeping. Failure of mooring lines may lead to further destruction, such as significant changes to the platform’s location and possible collisions with a neighbouring platform and eventually complete loss of the turbine structure may occur. The present study focuses on the dynamic responses of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)’s OC3-Hywind spar type floating platform with a NREL offshore 5-MW baseline wind turbine under failed mooring conditions using the fully coupled numerical simulation tool FAST. The platform motions in surge, heave and pitch under multiple scenarios are calculated in time-domain. The results describing the FOWT motions in the form of response amplitude operators (RAOs) and spectral densities are presented and discussed in detail. The results indicate that the loss of the mooring system firstly leads to longdistance drift and changes in platform motions. The natural frequencies and the energy contents of the platform motion, the RAOs of the floating structures are affected by the mooring failure to different degrees.

scholarly journals A New Conceptual Design and Dynamic Analysis of a Spar-Type Offshore Wind Turbine Combined with a Moonpool

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 3737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thanh Dam Pham ◽  
Hyunkyoung Shin
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Time Domain Analysis ◽  
Domain Analysis ◽  
Frequency Domain Analysis ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Operational Conditions ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

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.

scholarly journals Software-in-the-Loop Combined Reinforcement Learning Method for Dynamic Response Analysis of FOWTs

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Chen ◽  
Jiahao Chen ◽  
Zhiqiang Hu
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Maximum Error ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Learning Method ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) still face many challenges on how to better predict the dynamic responses. Artificial intelligence (AI) brings a new solution to overcome these challenges with intelligent strategies. A new AI technology-based method, named SADA, is proposed in this paper for the prediction of dynamic responses of FOWTs. Firstly, the methodology of SADA is introduced with the selection of Key Disciplinary Parameters (KDPs). The AI module in SADA was built in a coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic in-house program DARwind and the policy decision is provided by the machine learning algorithms deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG). Secondly, a set of basin experimental results of a Hywind Spar-type FOWT were employed to train the AI module. SADA weights KDPs by DDPG algorithms' actor network and changes their values according to the training feedback of 6DOF motions of Hywind platform through comparing the DARwind simulation results and that of experimental data. Many other dynamic responses that cannot be measured in basin experiment could be predicted in higher accuracy with this intelligent DARwind. Finally, the case study of SADA method was conducted and the results demonstrated that the mean values of the platform's motions can be predicted by AI-based DARwind with higher accuracy, for example the maximum error of surge motion is reduced by 21%. This proposed SADA method takes advantage of numerical-experimental method and the machine learning method, which brings a new and promising solution for overcoming the handicap impeding direct use of traditional basin experimental technology in FOWTs design.

A new method for structural safety and reliability analysis of offshore wind turbines

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-41
Author(s):  
Yingguang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Bandwidth Selection ◽  
Dynamic Responses ◽  
New Method ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Contour Method ◽  
Structural Safety ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Structural Dynamic ◽  
First Order ◽  
Contour Lines

With the motivation to overcome the shortcomings of the Rosenblatt Inverse-First-Order Reliability environmental contour method, in this study, the use of bivariate kernel density estimation with smoothed cross-validation bandwidth selection method is proposed for generating more accurate environmental contour lines. The environmental contour lines at a chosen offshore site obtained by using the proposed new method were compared with those obtained by using the Rosenblatt Inverse-First-Order Reliability environmental contour method, and the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed new method have been fully and clearly substantiated. Next, the 50-year extreme structural dynamic responses of a monopile-supported 5MW offshore wind turbine installed at this chosen offshore site based on the proposed new method and the Rosenblatt Inverse-First-Order Reliability environmental contour approach were calculated. Analyzing the calculating results, it can be found that the 50-year extreme fore-aft shear force value based on the 50-year extreme sea state obtained using the proposed new method is 78.9% larger than the corresponding value obtained based on the Rosenblatt Inverse-First-Order Reliability contour method. The calculation results in this paper were further systematically analyzed and compared, and the necessity and importance of using more realistic environmental contour lines (such as those generated using the proposed new method) have been finally highlighted.

Experimental results of floating platform vibration control with mode change function using full-scale spar-type floating offshore wind turbine

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 230-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiromu Kakuya ◽  
Takashi Shiraishi ◽  
Shigeo Yoshida ◽  
Tomoaki Utsunomiya ◽  
Iku Sato
Keyword(s):  
Vibration Control ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbine ◽  
Floating Platform ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Blade Pitch Angle

Floating offshore wind turbines have great potential for harvesting renewable energy sources since offshore wind is stronger and more stable than onshore wind. The foundations of floating offshore wind turbines are not rigidly fixed and it leads to vibration of the floating platform pitch angle. This vibration is caused by fast blade pitch angle motions of variable speed control for controlling rotor speed at rated values. This study proposes a control method to address this vibration, floating platform vibration control. This method extracts a natural frequency component of the vibration from the floating platform pitch angle signal by a band pass filter and controls the blade pitch angle on the basis of proportional–derivative control. Its key characteristic is changing control modes in accordance with electrical power. Experiments using a full-scale spar-type floating offshore wind turbine were performed, and results show that the proposed floating platform vibration control can suppress the vibration of floating platform pitch angle.

Importance of Control Strategies on Fatigue Life of Floating Wind Turbines

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjo̸rn Skaare ◽  
Tor David Hanson ◽  
Finn Gunnar Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Life ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Control Strategy ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Pitch Control ◽  
Floating Wind Turbine ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

Exploitation of wind energy at deep-waters locations requires floating wind turbine foundations. Several floating wind turbine foundation concepts are reported in the literature, and a common challenge is to make a low cost foundation with acceptable motion characteristics. In order to analyze the fatigue life of floating offshore wind turbines, the coupled action of wind, waves, current and blade pitch control strategy must be considered. State-of-the-art computer programs for motion analysis of moored offshore bodies, Simo-Riflex from Sintef Marintek, are coupled to a state-of-the-art aero-elastic computer program for wind turbines, Hawc2 from Riso̸ National Laboratory. The wave loads on the body may include wave diffraction and radiation loads as well as viscous forces. The mooring lines are modelled using cable finite elements with inertia and drag forces. The wind load on the rotor is based on common rotor aerodynamics including corrections for skew inflow and relative motion caused by large displacement and large tilt and yaw rotations of the rotor. Conventional wind turbine control strategies lead to wind-induced loads that may amplify or damp the motions of the floating wind turbine. The first case is a result of the blade pitch control strategy above rated wind speed for the wind turbine, and can result in large resonant motions that will reduce the fatigue life of the floating wind turbine significantly. The latter case implies energy extraction from the waves. This paper addresses the importance of control strategies on fatigue life for a given floating offshore wind turbine. A fatigue life time comparison between a conventional blade pitch control strategy and an estimator based blade pitch control strategy show that the fatigue life of floating offshore wind turbines can be significantly increased by use of alternative blade pitch control strategies.

Design and Testing of Scale Model Wind Turbines for Use in Wind/Wave Basin Model Tests of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Fowler ◽  
Richard W. Kimball ◽  
Dale A. Thomas ◽  
Andrew J. Goupee
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Wind Turbines ◽  
Model Tests ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Floating Offshore Wind Turbines ◽  
Wave Basin ◽  
Scale Design

Model basin testing is a standard practice in the design process for offshore floating structures and has recently been applied to floating offshore wind turbines. 1/50th scale model tests performed by the DeepCwind Consortium at Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) in 2011 on various platform types were able to capture the global dynamic behavior of commercial scale model floating wind turbine systems; however, due to the severe mismatch in Reynolds number between full scale and model scale, the strictly Froude-scaled, geometrically similar wind turbine underperformed greatly. This required significant modification of test wind speeds to match key wind turbine aerodynamic loads, such as thrust. To execute more representative floating wind turbine model tests, it is desirable to have a model wind turbine that more closely matches the performance of the full scale design. This work compares the wind tunnel performance, under Reynolds numbers corresponding to model test Froude-scale conditions, of an alternative wind turbine designed to emulate the performance of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW turbine. Along with the test data, the design methodology for creating this wind turbine is presented including the blade element momentum theory design of the performance-matched turbine using the open-source tools WT_Perf and XFoil. In addition, a strictly Froude-scale NREL 5 MW wind turbine design is also tested to provide a basis of comparison for the improved designs. While the improved, performance-matched turbine was designed to more closely match the NREL 5 MW design in performance under low model test Reynolds numbers, it did not maintain geometric similitude in the blade chord and thickness orientations. Other key Froude scaling parameters, such as blade lengths and rotor operational speed, were maintained for the improved designs. The results of this work support the development of protocols for properly designing scale model wind turbines that emulate the full scale design for Froude-scale wind/wave basin tests of floating offshore wind turbines.

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