An Open-Source Frequency-Domain Model for Floating Wind Turbine Design Optimization

Abstract A new frequency-domain dynamics model has been developed that uses open-source components to efficiently represent a complete floating wind turbine system. The model, called RAFT (Response Amplitudes of Floating Turbines), incorporates quasi-static mooring reactions, strip-theory and potential-flow hydrodynamics, blade-element-momentum aerodynamics, linear control. formulation is compatible with wide variety support structure configurations no manual or time-domain preprocessing steps are required, making very practical in design optimization workflows. applied three reference designs its predictions compared results from OpenFAST simulations. There good agreement mean offsets as well the statistics spectra dynamic response, verifying RAFT’s general suitability for analysis. Follow-on work will include verification turbine-control features application problems.