A coupled rans-vof and actuator disk model for floating offshore wind turbines

Abstract

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) may offer a solution to exploit resources at deep-water sites, but there are still many design challenges to overcome. Numerical modelling enables developers to explore these challenges with reduced risk. However, available tools typically simplify critical hydrodynamic interactions and so, here, a model, including high-fidelity hydrodynamic simulation, is presented and compared against existing solutions to two IEA OC4 load cases, which use lower-fidelity approaches. Two mooring models are investigated: a quasi-static approach that predicts a near-sinusoidal response in phase with the surge motion; and a dynamic approach which predicts considerable nonlinearity and a phase shift.