• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.255-262
• /
• 2015

The present study developed a numerical simulation tool for the coupled dynamic analysis of multiple turbines on a single floater (or Multiple Unit Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (MUFOWT)) in the time domain, considering the multiple-turbine aero-blade-tower dynamics and control, mooring dynamics, and platform motions. The numerical tool developed in this study was designed based on and extended from the single-turbine analysis tool FAST to make it suitable for multiple turbines. For the hydrodynamic loadings of floating platform and mooring-line dynamics, the CHARM3D program developed by the authors was incorporated. Thus, the coupled dynamic behavior of a floating base with multiple turbines and mooring lines can be simulated in the time domain. To investigate the effect of asymmetric aerodynamic loading on the global performance and mooring line tensions of the MUFOWT, one turbine failure case with a fully feathered blade pitch angle was simulated and checked. The aerodynamic interference between adjacent turbines, including the wake effect, was not considered in this study to more clearly demonstrate the influence of the asymmetric aerodynamic loading on the MUFOWT. The analysis shows that the unbalanced aerodynamic loading from one turbine in MUFOWT may induce appreciable changes in the performance of the floating platform and mooring system.