Work

Direction-Specific Optimization of Mooring Line Construction Forms for a Stepped Floating Wind Turbine Foundation Based on a Mooring Dynamics Analysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Offshore wind energy is an important source of clean energy. Single-post platforms, due to their simple structure and strong stability, can adapt to deep water environments through buoyancy and ballast systems, have small motion responses, and have low construction and maintenance costs. They are suitable for offshore wind energy development in deep-sea areas and help expand the application of offshore wind power. This paper conducts a coupled response analysis of offshore wind turbine foundations and mooring systems, as well as an optimization study on the form and number of mooring lines. Under the premise of considering the safety and economy of floating wind turbines, the mooring lines have been optimally arranged. The study calculates frequency-domain responses, time-domain responses, and mooring line forces under the constraints of the original three-line mooring system. Based on this benchmark, the study further optimizes the mooring forms and numbers for the same platform, analyzing four, six, and eight single mooring lines, as well as three groups of single-line, double-line, and triple-line mooring configurations. Finally, using AQWA software (2024 R1), the responses and mooring line forces of different mooring configurations were calculated, and the preferred mooring arrangement for this stepped single-post platform was determined to be a three-group, three-line system (a total of nine mooring lines). The mooring line tension decreased substantially from the original 3.2 × 106 N to 1.8 × 106 N, while the dynamic response was reduced to one-sixth of its original level. Meanwhile, this study provides strong support for the utilization of offshore wind energy and the construction of offshore wind turbine platforms and mooring systems.

Source: Symmetry

DOI: 10.3390/sym18050743

Authors: Junfeng Wang, Yongkun Xu, Xinhang Ding, Qing Chang, Mengwei Wu, Yan Wang

Institutions: Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Dalian Maritime University

Language: English

Topic: Offshore Engineering and Technologies

Subfield: Ocean Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896