Design of an aeroelastic physical model of the DTU 10MW wind turbine for a floating offshore multipurpose platform prototype

Multi-purpose offshore structures are very complex systems to be designed as many different requirements have to be taken into account simultaneously. Experimental tests on scaled models can be very useful to verify structural behavior and to validate numerical models. The definition of the scale can play a key role in performing tests as high scales, closer to full-scale, are generally related to more reliable results. The present paper concerns the design of a wind turbine model for a large-scale model of a Multi-purpose offshore Platform developed within the EU project H2020 Blue Growth Farm. This project aims at developing an offshore farm, based on a modular floating structure that integrates wave energy converters and a wind turbine with aquaculture. The scale model of the complete structure will be deployed at the Natural Ocean Engineering Laboratory (NOEL). The paper will focus on the strategies adopted to scale 1:15 the DTU 10 MW wind turbine in order to represent both the main aeroelastic features and all the functionalities of a real machine. The complete design of the machine and its control will be also provided.

Automated summary

Multi-purpose offshore structures are complex systems that require consideration of various requirements simultaneously. Experimental tests on scaled models are useful for verifying structural behavior and validating numerical models, with the scale playing a key role in obtaining reliable results. This paper focuses on the design of a wind turbine model for a large-scale model of a Multi-purpose offshore Platform developed within the EU project H2020 Blue Growth Farm, aiming to develop an offshore farm integrating wave energy converters, a wind turbine, and aquaculture.