Experimental Study on Collision Behavior Between a Floating Offshore Wind Turbine and a Ship

Abstract

The collision between a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) and a ship is one of the most significant events that will be appeared in lifecycle of FOWTs, and it is especially important to correctly evaluate it. Although the numerical simulation like the FEM is assumed as the general analysis method of the collision phenomenon, there are several conditions which affect the collision phenomenon between them for example floater type, mooring and so on. In this study, a tank test was carried out to analyze the collision from the viewpoint of the energy balance and quantitatively evaluated the effects of various conditions. As a result of the tank test, it was found that floater type and ship speed have a large effect on the dynamic characteristics, which were likely to affect the energy contributing to deformation. On the other hand, it was clear that catenary mooring and wave have relatively little effect on the collision under certain conditions.