Analytical Investigation of Tension Loads Acting on a TLP Floating Wind Turbine

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the coupled hydroaeroelastic problem for a TLP design of a floating structure consisting of multiple vertical truncated cylinders which support a 10 MW wind turbine (WT). The platform is exposed to the combined effects of water waves and wind loading. The motions of the platform are examined for seven different directions of the incident waves. The hydrodynamic problem was solved analytically by combining the physical idea of multiple scattering and the method of matched axisymmetric eigenfunction expansions in order to obtain analytical representations of the velocity potential around the cylindrical members of the platform, while the contribution of the WT is considered within the six degrees of motion of the floater. Numerical results are initially presented for the exciting forces acting on the platform, the added masses, and the hydrodynamic damping coefficients, as well as the RAOs of the platform’s motions. Furthermore, the shear forces and bending moments are calculated at the point where the WT is assembled with the floater. Finally, results for the total mooring forces are given.