Reference Power Cable Models for Floating Offshore Wind Applications

Abstract

The present study aims to address the knowledge gaps in dynamic power cable designs suitable for large floating wind turbines and to develop three baseline power cable designs. The study includes a detailed database of structural and mechanical properties for three reference cable models rated at 33 kV, 66 kV, and 132 kV to be readily used in global dynamic response simulations. Structural properties are obtained from finite element method (FEM) models of respective cable cross-sections built in UFLEX v2.8.9—a non-linear stress analysis program. Extensive mesh sensitivity studies are performed to ensure the accuracy of the predicted structural properties. The cable’s structural design is investigated using global response simulations of an OC3 5MW reference wind turbine coupled with the dynamic power cable in a lazy wave configuration. The feasibility of the present reference cable in floating offshore wind applications is assessed through a simplified analysis of cable fatigue life and structural integrity analysis of the cable in extreme environmental conditions. The analysis results suggest that the dynamic power cable does not significantly affect the response characteristics of the floating wind turbine in the analyzed lazy wave configuration. Furthermore, a simplified fatigue analysis demonstrates that the proposed cable design can sustain representative environmental loading scenarios and shows favorable dynamic performance in a lazy wave configuration.