Scale Tests of the GICON®-TLP for Wind Turbines

Abstract

The paper will present the preliminary design of the so called GICON® - Tension Leg Platform (TLP) as an innovative foundation concept for floating offshore wind turbines. Preliminary results from model basin tests are also shared. This includes the currently ongoing research of comparing calculated and experimental data obtained through extensive wind and wave tank experiments with a scale model of an offshore wind turbine at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) in June 2013. These tests have provided insights regarding the dynamic characteristics of the GICON®-TLP by analyzing the system’s response to different load cases. The experiments included wind and wave loads, which represent three different sea states, each with three different directions of inflow. The chosen load cases correspond to the proposed location in the German Baltic Sea where the full scale prototype will be erected.