• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.139-160
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• 2015

The global performance of the 5MW OC4 semisubmersible floating wind turbine in random waves was numerically simulated by using the turbine-floater-mooring fully coupled and time-domain dynamic analysis program FAST-CHARM3D. There have been many papers regarding floating offshore wind turbines but the effects of second-order wave-body interactions on their global performance have rarely been studied. The second-order wave forces are actually small compared to the first-order wave forces, but its effect cannot be ignored when the natural frequencies of a floating system are outside the wave-frequency range. In the case of semi-submersible platform, second-order difference-frequency wave-diffraction forces and moments become important since surge/sway and pitch/roll natural frequencies are lower than those of typical incident waves. The computational effort related to the full second-order diffraction calculation is typically very heavy, so in many cases, the simplified approach called Newman's approximation or first-order-wave-force-only are used. However, it needs to be justified against more complete solutions with full QTF (quadratic transfer function), which is a main subject of the present study. The numerically simulated results for the 5MW OC4 semisubmersible floating wind turbine by FAST-CHARM3D are also extensively compared with the DeepCWind model test results by Technip/NREL/UMaine. The predicted motions and mooring tensions for two white-noise input-wave spectra agree well against the measure values. In this paper, the numerical static-offset and free-decay tests are also conducted to verify the system stiffness, damping, and natural frequencies against the experimental results. They also agree well to verify that the dynamic system modeling is correct to the details. The performance of the simplified approaches instead of using the full QTF are also tested.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2016

The global performance of the 5 MW OC4 semisubmersible floating wind turbine in random waves with or without steady/dynamic winds is numerically simulated by using the turbine-floater-mooring fully coupled dynamic analysis program FAST-CHARM3D in time domain. The numerical simulations are based on the complete second-order diffraction/radiation potential formulations along with nonlinear viscous-drag force estimations at the body's instantaneous position. The sensitivity of hull motions and mooring dynamics with varying wave-kinematics extrapolation methods above MWL(mean-water level) and column drag coefficients is investigated. The effects of steady and dynamic winds are also illustrated. When dynamic wind is added to the irregular waves, it additionally introduces low-frequency wind loading and aerodynamic damping. The numerically simulated results for the 5 MW OC4 semisubmersible floating wind turbine by FAST-CHARM3D are also extensively compared with the DeepCWind model-test results by Technip/NREL/UMaine. Those numerical-simulation results have good correlation with experimental results for all the cases considered.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.79-99
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• 2018

The effects of BPC (blade pitch control) on FOWT (floating offshore wind turbine) motions and generated power are investigated by using a fully-coupled turbine-floater-mooring simulation program. In this regard, two example FOWTs, OC4-5MW semi-submersible FOWT and KRISO four-3MW-units FOWT, are selected since the numerical simulations of those two FOWTs have been verified against experiments in authors' previous studies. Various simulations are performed changing BPC natural frequency (BPCNF), BPC damping ratio (BPCDR), and wind speeds. Through the numerical simulations, it was demonstrated that negative damping can happen for platform pitch motions and its influences are affected by BPCNF, BPCDR, and wind speeds. If BPCNF is significantly larger than platform-pitch natural frequency, the pitch resonance can be very serious due to the BPC-induced negative-damping effects, which should be avoided in the FOWT design. If wind speed is significantly higher than the rated wind velocity, the negative damping effects start to become reduced. Other important findings are also given through systematic sensitivity investigations.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.300-310
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• 2014

This paper presents a mooring design procedure of a floating offshore wind turbine. The environment data of south offshore area of Jeju collected from Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration(KHOA) are used for hydrodynamic analyses as environmental conditions. We considered a semi-submersible type floating wind turbine based on Offshore Code Comparison Collaborative Continuation(OC4) DeepCWind platform and National Renewable Energy Laboratory(NREL) 5 MW class wind turbine. Catenary mooring with studless chain is chosen as the mooring system. Important design decisions such as how large the nomial sizes are, how long the mooring lines are, how far the anchor points are located, are demonstrated in detail. Considering ultimate limit state and fatigue limit state based on 100-year return period and 50-year design life, respectively, longterm predictions of breaking strength and fatigue are proposed.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2013

This paper presents the model test results of 3 new spar platforms which were developed based on the OC3-Hywind spar to support a 5-MW wind turbine. By changing the shape but keeping both volume and mass of OC3-Hywind spar platform, those platforms were expected to experience different hydrodynamic and hydrostatic loads. The scale models were built with a 1/128 scale ratio. The model tests were carried out in waves, including both rotating rotor effect and mean wind speed. The characteristic motions of the 3 new models were measured; Response Amplitude Operators (RAO) and significant motions were calculated and compared with those of OC3-Hywind.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.203-216
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• 2016

Over recent years the offshore wind turbines are becoming more feasible solution to the energy problem, which is crucial for Egypt. In this article a three floating support structure, tension leg platform types (TLP), for 5-MW wind turbine have been considered. The dynamic behavior of a triangular, square, and pentagon TLP configurations under multi-directional regular and random waves have been investigated. The environmental loads have been considered according to the Egyptian Metrological Authority records in northern Red sea zone. The dynamic analysis were carried out using ANSYS-AQWA a finite element analysis software, FAST a wind turbine dynamic software, and MATLAB software. Investigation results give a better understanding of dynamical behavior and stability of the floating wind turbines. Results include time history, Power Spectrum densities (PSD's), and plan stability for all configurations.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2015

This paper presents effect of aerodynamic loads on mooring line responses of a floating offshore wind turbine. A Matlab code based on blade element momentum (BEM) theory is developed to consider aerodynamic loads acting on NREL 5MW wind turbine. The aerodynamic loads are coupled with time-domain hydrodynamic analyses using one-way interaction scheme of the wave and wind loads. A semi-submersible floating platform which is from Offshore Code Comparison Collaborative Continuation(OC4) DeepCWind platform is used with catenary mooring lines simply composed of studless chain links. Average values of mooring peak tensions obtained from aerodynamic load consideration are significantly increased compared to those from simple wind drag force consideration. Consideration of aerodynamic loads also yield larger tension ranges which can be important factor to reduce fatigue life of the mooring lines.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.115-120
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• 2011

The dynamic responses of a 5 MW wind turbine lifted by a floating crane with two elastic booms are analyzed. Dynamic equations of motions of a multibody system that consists of a floating crane, two elastic booms, and a wind turbine are derived. The six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) motions for the floating crane and the wind turbine are considered in the equations of motions. The hydrostatic force, the hydrodynamic force due to a regular wave, the mooring force, the wire rope force, and the gravitational force are considered as external forces. By solving the equations numerically, the dynamic responses of cargo are simulated. The simulation results are compared with those in the case of one elastic boom. Finally, the dynamic responses of the wind turbine lifted by the floating crane are analyzed under regular wave condition.

• International Journal of Ocean System Engineering
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.209-217
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• 2013

This paper presents a mooring design procedure for a floating offshore wind turbine. Offshore environmental data for Jeju are taken from KHOA (Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration) and used for the environmental conditions in numerical analyses. A semi-submersible-type floating wind system with a 5-MW-class wind turbine studied by the DeepCwind Consortium is applied. Catenary mooring with a studless chain is chosen as the mooring system. Design deliverables such as the nominal sizes of chain and length of the mooring line are decided by considering the long-term prediction of the breaking strength of the mooring lines where a 100-year return period is used. The designed mooring system is verified using a fatigue calculation based on rain-flow cycle counting, an S-N curve, and a Miner's damage summation of rule. The mooring tension process is obtained from time-domain motion analyses using ANSYS/AQWA.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.909-922
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• 2015

The dynamic response and the mooring line tension of a 1/75 scale model of spar-type platform for 2.5 MW floating offshore wind turbine subject to one-dimensional regular harmonic wave are investigated numerically and verified by experiment. The upper part of wind turbine which is composed of three rotor blades, hub and nacelle is modeled as a lumped mass the scale model and three mooring lines are pre-tensioned by means of linear springs. The coupled fluid-rigid body interaction is numerically simulated by a coupled FEM-cable dynamics code, while the experiment is performed in a wave tank with the specially-designed vision and data acquisition system. The time responses of surge, heave and pitch motions of the scale platform and the mooring line tensions are obtained numerically and the frequency domain-converted RAOs are compared with the experiment.