Session: 09-02-08 Wind Energy: System Testing

Submission Number: 181648

Multi-Rotor-Based Real-Time Hybrid Model Testing and Coupled Dynamic Response Analysis of a 17 MW Semi-Submersible Floating Offshore Wind Turbine 

This paper addresses the fundamental bottleneck of traditional floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) basin testing—namely, the inability to reproduce full-scale turbulent wind fields and aerodynamic loads because of the irreconcilable Froude–Reynolds scaling conflict. A real-time hybrid model (RTHM) framework tailored to a 17 MW semi-submersible FOWT is therefore proposed and implemented. By integrating high-fidelity numerical simulation with physical-model testing, the framework enables real-time data exchange and closed-loop control between numerical and physical substructures through a UDP/IP protocol. First, the AeroDyn aerodynamic module was recompiled to support UDP/IP communication, so that hub-motion feedback can be accepted on-the-fly and aerodynamic loads can be computed online with a blade-element-momentum (BEM) solver. Second, a bespoke multi-rotor loader—six independently controlled propellers—was developed to replicate full-scale thrust and moments on a 1:65 Froude-scaled model. Systematic wave-basin campaigns were then conducted under pure-wind and combined wind–wave conditions. Results show that the mean errors of thrust and torque remain below 7 % in pure wind and that amplitude and phase are faithfully preserved under combined wind–wave excitation, validating the ability of the RTHM framework to reproduce complex aero-hydro coupling. The close agreement with fully coupled numerical predictions further demonstrates the reliability and accuracy of the hybrid strategy for predicting the dynamic response of next-generation ultra-large FOWTs.

Presenting Author: Linyang Cao Dalian University of Technology

Presenting Author Biography: I am a Phd candidate currently enrolled in Dalian University of Technology, focusing primarily on hybrid model testing of offshore floating wind turbines and fully-coupled analysis of floating wind turbines.

Authors:

Wei Shi Dalian University of Technology
Linyang Cao Dalian University of Technology
Jiazhi Wang Dalian University of Technology
Wei Chai Wuhan University of Technology
Xin Li Dalian University of Technology
Wenhua Wang Dalian University of Technology
Yiming Zhou Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute
Shudong Leng Dalian University of Technology
Yajun Ren China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute