Presentations

Abstract

The design of mooring systems for floating wind turbines is a complex engineering challenge owing to multiple design criteria. These systems must withstand the combined forces of wind, waves, and ocean currents. Site-specific factors such as water depth and seabed composition play a crucial role in determining the type of mooring system and anchors that can be used.  The long-term durability of the mooring lines, which are subject to constant cyclic loading, is a major concern. Safety is also paramount, especially in multi-turbine arrays where mooring lines must be carefully positioned to avoid entanglement with other infrastructure. In addition, designers must navigate regulatory requirements and environmental considerations, ensuring that the systems minimise ecological impact, such as seabed disturbance and risks to marine life. Given the complexity of the design problem, ABL has developed an automated approach to exploring the design space for floating wind mooring systems. The tool integrates advanced optimisation algorithms with dynamic simulation capabilities to evaluate system performance under ultimate and fatigue load conditions. The approach supports both time-domain and frequency-domain analyses and is compatible with industry-standard software such as OrcaFlex. It enables users to define design spaces, constraints, and objectives tailored to specific project needs, offering flexibility across mooring configurations: catenary, semi-taut, and taut. The tool’s modular architecture allows for incremental deployment of features, ensuring adaptability to evolving industry requirements such as the incorporation of load reduction devices. The proposed presentation will demonstrate the potential for automated design optimisation strategies to enhance design efficiency and reliability for floating wind systems.