Integrated design of a semi-submersible floating vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) with active blade pitch control
Fons Huijs (GustoMSC)
Ebert Vlasveld (ECN, Petten)
Maël Gormand (GustoMSC)
F. J. Savenije (ECN, Petten)
B.P. Leblanc (TU Delft - Wind Energy)
Carlos Simao Ferreira (TU Delft - Wind Energy)
Koert Lindenburg (Knowledge Centre WMC)
G.B. Cavadini (External organisation)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
A semi-submersible Tri-Floater has been designed to support a 6 MW vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) with active blade pitch control. Due to the low centre of gravity and large allowable floater tilt angle, a relatively small floater can be used to support a VAWT. Coupled simulations including hydrodynamics, mooring system, aerodynamics and control system have been performed to analyse the strongly coupled dynamics of floater and wind turbine. Software tools have been developed or upgraded to enable these simulations. Based on typical extreme operational and survival design load cases, it is illustrated that the active blade pitch control system can be successfully used to minimize the governing loads on the floater. Whereas for a VAWT with fixed blades, the parked survival conditions are typically design driving for the floating support structure, this is not the case if blade pitch control is applied. It is concluded that, compared to a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) with the same rated power, a 20 percent lighter floater can be used as support structure for the VAWT with active blade pitch control.
help_outline