Capturing the Complex Physics Around Floating Wind Turbines

Floating offshore wind has become a hot topic in the last few years. The technology promises access to ideal wind conditions previously out of reach, higher acceptance by society and less environmental impact compared with bottom-fixed wind foundations. Despite numerous advantages, no project has reached industrial scale yet. The main reason is the relative degree of technical immaturity and the total costs. Factors such as increased complexity resulting from the additional motion of floating platforms, added material demand for moorings and substructure, a lack of adequate port infrastructure and a lack of consensus on substructure design and mooring configuration, which prevent the benefit from production scaling effects, are some of the main reasons for this reality. The need for innovation is a strong driver within the research community to reduce these costs.