Dynamic Response of a Conceptual Designed Articulated Offshore Wind Turbine

Abstract

Focusing on the 75-meter-depth offshore area, an articulated foundation is proposed for supporting NREL 5 MW offshore wind turbine. Through the overall sensitivity check on hydrostatic performance, the main parameters are set to meet the requirements of stability and economy. An in-house code was programmed to simulate the dynamic response of the articulated offshore wind turbine. The aerodynamic load on rotating blades and the wind pressure load on tower are calculated based on the blade element momentum theory and the empirical formula, respectively. The hydrodynamic load is simulated by the 3-D potential flow theory. The motions of foundation, the aerodynamic performance of the wind turbine and the loads on the articulated joint are documented in different cases. According to the simulations, the articulated offshore wind turbine shows feasibility to work in the particular area.