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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/W009684/1
Title Integrated wind-wave control of semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbine platforms (FOWT-Control)
Status Started
Energy Categories Renewable Energy Sources(Wind Energy) 100%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 50%;
Applied Research and Development 50%;
Science and Technology Fields ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Dr G Li

Engineering and Materials Science
Queen Mary, University of London
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 July 2023
End Date 30 June 2026
Duration 36 months
Total Grant Value £384,522
Industrial Sectors Energy
Region London
Programme NC : Engineering
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr G Li , Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary, University of London (100.000%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , Health and Safety Executive (0.000%)
Project Contact , Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (0.000%)
Project Contact , Frazer-Nash Consultancy Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Seawind Ocean Technology Ltd (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Offshore wind energy is becoming a major electricity provider with future expansion in deep water. Floating platforms can access water depths typically greater than 30 m, but have the disadvantage of platform motions due to combined waves and time varying thrust from turbine motion. Platform stabilisation is critically important for improving performance, reducing downtime and enabling safe access. Lost electrical output alone for a proposed 15 MW machine can be £20k per day at today's prices. Moreover, misalignment of the turbine axis with wind direction due to yaw and pitch causes power loss and undesirable blade stresses. In addition to pitch and surge in the wave direction, roll and yaw cross wave may occur due to multi-directional wave fields. Thus this project has two distinct aims both impacting on through life cost: Aim 1: to optimally minimise platform motion during power production by integrated (holistic) preview control of wave and wind effects on platform and turbines. A key reliability goal is to ensure acceleration at the nacelle due to pitch and surge is less than the recommended 0.2-0.3g, and to minimise damaging electrical surges and fatigue of structural components. Aim 2: to absolutely minimise platform motion for safe maintenance during personnel and material transfers by boat or helicopter and minimise debilitating motion effects on personnel during maintenance work. The illustrative case employed is the popular semi-sub floater concept which has comparatively shallow draft and simple deployment. Platform stabilisation will be achieved by combining: (i) pumped tank control between semi-sub columns to minimise pitch and roll as employed in ships, (ii) blade pitch control, already used in wind turbine control and (iii) yaw control for alignment with the wind direction. This multi-objective non-causal control problem requires future knowledge of both wave and wind forcing functions to achieve optimality
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 16/08/23