Dynamic Analysis of a 10 MW Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Considering the Tower and Platform Flexibility

Recently, semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine technologies have received considerable attention. For the coupled simulation of semisubmersible floating offshore wind energy, the platform is usually considered a rigid model, which could affect the calculation accuracy of the dynamic responses. The dynamic responses of a TripleSpar floating offshore wind turbine equipped with a 10 MW offshore wind turbine are discussed herein. The simulation of a floating offshore wind turbine under regular waves, white noise waves, and combined wind-wave conditions is conducted. The effects of the tower and platform flexibility on the motion and force responses of the TripleSpar semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine are investigated. The results show that the flexibility of the tower and platform can influence the dynamic responses of a TripleSpar semisubmersible floating offshore wind turbine. Considering the flexibility of the tower and platform, the tower and platform pitch motions markedly increased compared with the fully rigid model. Moreover, the force responses, particularly for tower base loads, are considerably influenced by the flexibility of the tower and platform. Thus, the flexibility of the tower and platform for the coupled simulation of floating offshore wind turbines must be appropriately examined.