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Modeling the TetraSpar Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Foundation as a Flexible Structure in OrcaFlex and OpenFAST

Author

Listed:
  • Jonas Bjerg Thomsen

    (Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, Thomas Manns Vej 23, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark)

  • Roger Bergua

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, USA)

  • Jason Jonkman

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, USA)

  • Amy Robertson

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, USA)

  • Nicole Mendoza

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401, USA)

  • Cameron Brown

    (Stiesdal Offshore Technologies A/S, Nørrevoldgade 45, 5000 Odense, Denmark)

  • Christos Galinos

    (Stiesdal Offshore Technologies A/S, Nørrevoldgade 45, 5000 Odense, Denmark)

  • Henrik Stiesdal

    (Stiesdal Offshore Technologies A/S, Nørrevoldgade 45, 5000 Odense, Denmark)

Abstract

Floating offshore wind turbine technology has seen an increasing and continuous development in recent years. When designing the floating platforms, both experimental and numerical tools are applied, with the latter often using time-domain solvers based on hydro-load estimation from a Morison approach or a boundary element method. Commercial software packages such as OrcaFlex, or open-source software such as OpenFAST, are often used where the floater is modeled as a rigid six degree-of-freedom body with loads applied at the center of gravity. However, for final structural design, it is necessary to have information on the distribution of loads over the entire body and to know local internal loads in each component. This paper uses the TetraSpar floating offshore wind turbine design as a case study to examine new modeling approaches in OrcaFlex and OpenFAST that provide this information. The study proves the possibility of applying the approach and the extraction of internal loads, while also presenting an initial code-to-code verification between OrcaFlex and OpenFAST. As can be expected, comparing the flexible model to a rigid-body model proves how motion and loads are affected by the flexibility of the structure. OrcaFlex and OpenFAST generally agree, but there are some differences in results due to different modeling approaches. Since no experimental data are available in the study, this paper only forms a baseline for future studies but still proves and describes the possibilities of the approach and codes.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas Bjerg Thomsen & Roger Bergua & Jason Jonkman & Amy Robertson & Nicole Mendoza & Cameron Brown & Christos Galinos & Henrik Stiesdal, 2021. "Modeling the TetraSpar Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Foundation as a Flexible Structure in OrcaFlex and OpenFAST," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:23:p:7866-:d:686344
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Borg & Morten Walkusch Jensen & Scott Urquhart & Morten Thøtt Andersen & Jonas Bjerg Thomsen & Henrik Stiesdal, 2020. "Technical Definition of the TetraSpar Demonstrator Floating Wind Turbine Foundation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-11, September.
    2. Christof Wehmeyer & Francesco Ferri & Morten Thøtt Andersen & Ronnie Refstrup Pedersen, 2014. "Hybrid Model Representation of a TLP Including Flexible Topsides in Non-Linear Regular Waves," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-18, August.
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