Posters

Abstract

Intending to help the industry to reduce the costs of floating wind energy generation, this paper presents the final design of the Flotant concept developed within the framework of a Cooperation Research Project funded by the European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The technology readiness level (TRL) of the different components of the concept varies from 3 to 5 being 4 for the floating substructure which is the focus of the present work. The paper describes the Flotant project innovations and presents the principal dimensions of the floating wind turbine system. The floating system has been developed to fulfil strict requirements for two different locations: Gran Canarias (GC) and West of Barra (WoB) sites. Therefore, two different mooring solutions including innovative elastomers to reduce peak loads are presented. The intact static stability of the floating system is checked following the requirements stated in the relevant Det Norske Veritas (DNVGL) standards accounting for the effect of an active ballast system able to counteract the mean pitch induced by the large multi-MW wind turbine. The hydrostatic and hydrodynamic properties of the floating system are discussed and evaluated, showing the feasibility of the low-cost barge-type system Flotant concept To ensure the desired behaviour of the floating system, a relevant subset of design load cases (DLCs) covering the global performance of floater and moorings has been simulated. Fully coupled hydro-servo-aero-elastic simulations have been performed to consider the wind and wave loading, the aerodynamic response of the rotor, the hydrodynamic response and structural dynamics of the turbine-floater-mooring assembly, and the control system actions. The results of the last iteration design loop within the Flotant project are presented demonstrating the novel technology developed within the Flotant project is feasible even in rough conditions like the ones encountered in the WoB site.