Effects of Aerodynamic Damping and Gyroscopic Moments on Dynamic Responses of a Semi-Submersible Floating Vertical Axis Wind Turbine: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Floating vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) offer certain advantages over floating horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs), particularly in terms of the potential to lower the cost of energy. In this study, a 5 MW floating VAWT concept with three straight blades and a semi-submersible hull deployed in a water depth of 42 m was presented. In addition, the experimental setup is introduced, and calibration tests are also performed to validate the physical model system. Subsequently, the aerodynamic damping and gyroscopic moment effects were investigated by wind/wave basin model tests with a scale ratio of 1/50. Results indicate that aerodynamic damping can suppress the fluctuations of the platform's surge and pitch motion at their respective resonance frequencies and tends to increase with wind speed at below-rated wind speed. Additionally, surge-induced and pitch-induced aerodynamic damping hardly affect the wave frequency response. Meanwhile, the surge natural frequency is substantially altered due to the wind loads. The rotating rotor and pitch motion of the platform together excite significant gyroscopic moments, leading to noticeable oscillations in roll motion. Additionally, there is an increasing trend in the gyroscopic moment effect with rotational speed. During normal operation of the floating VAWT, aerodynamic damping and gyroscopic moment together influence hull roll/pitch motions. Overall, this study contributes to providing valuable insights into the motion characteristics of floating VAWTs.