Experiments in an enclosed Wave–Wind Flume environment to study the dynamics of a small-scale Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

Abstract

The global floating offshore wind industry is experiencing rapid growth, but stability regulations are often limited. Reducing platform motions can increase turbine efficiency and support hybrid wind-wave energy systems. This paper presents an experimental study on the dynamics of a Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (FOWT) conducted in an enclosed Wave–Wind Flume (WWF) employing an image-based methodology. The study analyzes the effects of different sea states and the role of a Centerboard and Heave plate (CH) system in decreasing the platform’s motions. The study confirms a significant decrease in overall platform response, approximately 6%, along the longitudinal plane under various sea conditions due to the implemented system. Notable changes were also observed in the Response Amplitude Operators (RAO) at different periods, particularly pitch motion, which showed an average reduction of 27%. The surge, heave, and pitch responses consistently showed lower values when the system was installed, with a mean decrease of 25% across test cases. These results demonstrate the CH’s effectiveness in improving the platform’s dynamics and indicate that it can be integrated into other floating platforms’ designs to assess and improve their performance under distinct sea conditions.