Scientific advances and innovation

To cope with this new design challenge, LHEEA plans to expand the capabilities of its current floating turbine simulator. This project aims to develop a hydro-elastic solver for the calculation of structural loadings sustained by floating wind foundations. This work will involve the coupling of an “in-house” hydrodynamic solver based on a unsteady potential theory with a structural solver based on a finite element formulation. A second task will focus on the experimental validation that will be conducted at Centrale Nantes with a segmented model  of a SPAR-type floating foundation .

Expected technical and economic impact

The scientific and technical impact of the project is on both the numerical and the experimental aspects of the project:

  • The numerical modelling of the hydroelastic behavior of floating wind turbine foundations by means of a unstationary potential model would be a first of its kind in the floating wind energy community.
  • Experimental results of floating wind turbine foundations with segmented models are very few; the proposed experimental campaign will be then strongly valuable for the community.

Key project milestones

  • 05/04/2019 - Kick-Off
  • 2019 - Numerical developments
  • 2020 - Experimental tests
  • March 2021 - End of the project

Results

  • Numerical coupling between WS_CN hydrodynamic model with Beampy, two in-house hydrodynamic and structural models
  • Design and manufacturing of 1:40th scale flexible model of spar platform designed to withstand a 10MW HAWT.
  • Conduction of a wave tank tests campaign with the flexible spar-type platform under regular and irregular waves
  • Creation of an experimental database dedicated to the validation of numerical solvers.

Publications and papers published

Oral communications
Publications: