Session: 01-01-01 Offshore Platforms - I

Submission Number: 157182

Effects of Turning Maneuvers on the Towing of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines 

This study investigates the effects of turning manoeuvres during the towing of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs), focusing on barge-type platforms. Advanced numerical tools, Ansys Aqwa and Orcina OrcaFlex, have been used to simulate dynamic responses under different environmental conditions, including varying wind, wave and current scenarios. The methodology integrates Captive Model Tests (CMTs) to replicate the motion behaviour of the FOWTs and evaluates Response Amplitude Operators (RAOs) at low and high towing speeds. Static towing analyses have also been conducted to assess the effects of steady-state conditions on platform stability and towline tension.

Preliminary results show that, in the absence of environmental conditions, turning manoeuvres induce oscillatory dynamics between the towing lines that significantly affect the roll and pitch motions. The alternating tension peaks observed in the towing lines often reach critical values, highlighting the need for careful operational planning. In addition, unballasted FOWTs show sensitivity to resonant frequencies, highlighting the importance of adjusting towing speeds to avoid resonance with wave frequencies in real sea conditions.

These findings provide important insights for optimising towing strategies and improving the safety and stability of FOWT transport and installation operations. The results contribute to the development of refined towing procedures by addressing the interactions between towing dynamics and hydrodynamic forces.

Presenting Author: Kuei Tien Lin National Cheng Kung University

Presenting Author Biography: The author is currently a second year master's student in the Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), and holds a bachelor's degree in Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering from NCKU.