Reducción del movimiento oscilatorio en turbinas eólicas offshoreAplicación a plataformas semi-sumergibles con integración de columnas de agua oscilante

Abstract

Marine structures, such as Floating Wind Turbines (FWTs), are exposed to the forces of waves and wind, resulting in undesirable oscillations that can negatively impact their performance, longevity, energy extraction efficiency, structural integrity, and maintenance costs. To address these issues, the integration of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) into FWT systems has been proposed. This integrated approach aims to harness both wind and wave energy, transmitting electrical power to the grid. This paper investigates the use of Oscillating Water Columns (OWCs), a type of WEC, within FWT systems. OWCs are utilized to enhance hydrodynamic damping and reduce resonant motions in floating wind turbines, particularly in response to environmental forces like wind and waves. Despite the smaller contribution of wave energy compared to wind energy, OWCs serve as valuable damping sources to improve power efficiency and platform structural design. The core objective of this paper is to redesign the original FWT platform to accommodate additional OWCs, considering the altered hydrodynamics resulting from their integration. This redesign involves the incorporation of OWCs into two out of three columns of an existing semi-submersible platform designed for a 12 MW FWT. Moonpools aligning with OWC air chambers have been created within these columns, and water ballast systems have been designed for columns with and without OWCs. Subsequently, hydrodynamic analyses are conducted to evaluate the system’s behavior. The paper discusses the hydrodynamic properties in terms of the hybrid platform’s response compared to the original configuration. The hybrid platform is modeled using GeniE, and the system’s hydrodynamics are assessed using HydroD, tools developed by DNV. The study’s results underscore the potential advantages of integrating OWCs within FWT systems, particularly in mitigating platform oscillatory motions, enhancing their overall performance and longevity.