Wave Loading of a Half Ellipsis Array Type Offshore Structure Supporting a Wind Turbine

Abstract

The paper summarizes the hydrodynamic analysis for the modeling of a half ellipsis array offshore floating structure, suitable for the exploitation of offshore wind and wave energy sources. The floating structure supports a 5 MW Wind Turbine (WT) and consists of an array of five hydrodynamically interacting vertical cylinders. Details of the system modeling are studied and numerical results are obtained in the frequency domain. The objective of the analysis is to examine the wave exciting forces, the wave elevation and the mean second-order forces of the array, because these geometric arrangements are considered as possible wave-energy-extraction mechanisms, given that their modules are allowed to oscillate in six degrees of freedom. Also, constructions of this form can be used for collecting marine litter.