Floating Wind Turbine Mooring Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in longitudinally stabilizing floating wind turbines of an upwind type, especially at higher wind speeds, which leads to instability and reduced energy production.
Innovation Solution
The wind turbine support system features a floating body connected to the seabed via a single line mooring system, with a specific arrangement of the System Center of Gravity (SCG) and Hub Center of Gravity (HCG) that enhances weather waning stability and reduces wake losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a floating body with single line mooring is used to support an upwind offshore wind turbine, then installation costs are reduced and adaptability to deeper water depths is improved, but longitudinal stability deteriorates at higher wind speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the critical parameter of center of gravity positioning. By locating the system center of gravity forward of the hub center of gravity, the system creates a stabilizing moment that counteracts the destabilizing aerodynamic forces on the blades, thereby improving longitudinal stability without changing the basic floating body structure or mooring system
2Reliability
If the wind turbine operates in passive mode at wind speeds above cut-out speed, then safety is improved by feathering the blades, but longitudinal stability deteriorates due to increased weather waning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the gravitational parameter arrangement by positioning the system center of gravity forward of the hub center of gravity. This creates a restoring moment that counteracts the weather waning effect when blades are feathered in passive mode, maintaining stability during high wind conditions while preserving safety through proper blade positioning
3Ease of manufacture
If wind turbines are arranged in farms to share infrastructure costs, then investment costs are reduced, but wake losses increase due to reduced wind speed for downwind turbines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic capability to the wind turbine system through the floating body design. This allows the turbine to adjust its position and orientation in response to wake conditions from upstream turbines, enabling it to move out of the wake zone and maintain higher wind speeds at the rotor plane, thereby reducing wake losses while maintaining farm configuration benefits
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution increases weather waning stability at higher wind speeds, reduces overall costs for floating energy production, minimizes wake losses, and enhances energy production efficiency while maintaining environmental sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
a floating body (2) configured to hold a lower end of a tower (101) of the wind turbine
Implementation Method 2
a single line mooring system (3) comprising a seabed anchor (4), and a mooring line (31) configured to be connected to the seabed anchor
Data Source
AI summary
A wind turbine support system configured to support an off-shore wind turbine, an offshore wind turbine farm and a method for controlling a floating offshore wind park with such turbine support system are described. The wind turbine support system includes: a floating body configured to hold a lower end of a tower of the wind turbine; and a single point mooring system. The single point mooring system includes a seabed anchor; and a mooring line configured to be connected to the seabed anchor at a first end thereof. The floating body has a bow and a stern, and the bow is configured to be connected to a second end of the mooring line.