EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON IMPACT OF HEAVE MOTION ON TOWER TOP LOADS OF FLOATING WIND TURBINES

Yang Songsong; Liu Huiwen; Zhao Yushuai; Tayier Tuniyazi; Lin Ming; Tian Wenxin

doi:10.19912/j.0254-0096.tynxb.2024-2269

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Acta Energiae Solaris Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (5) : 197-204. DOI: 10.19912/j.0254-0096.tynxb.2024-2269

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON IMPACT OF HEAVE MOTION ON TOWER TOP LOADS OF FLOATING WIND TURBINES

Yang Songsong¹, Liu Huiwen^1,2, Zhao Yushuai¹, Tayier Tuniyazi¹, Lin Ming³, Tian Wenxin⁴

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Abstract

Based on a six-degree-of-freedom motion control platform, a wind tunnel experiment was conducted on a floating model wind turbine with imposed heave motions. In particular, the study investigated the impact of different motion amplitudes and frequencies on the load characteristics at the turbine's tower top. The results indicate that the fluctuations in tower top loads are primarily governed by changes in both motion-induced inertial loads and aerodynamic loads. Specifically, in the low-frequency domain, load fluctuations are mainly modulated by the heave frequency and its harmonics, while in the high-frequency range, there are evident signatures of the rotor's rotational frequency and its harmonics. Under small-amplitude motions, the influence of aerodynamic loads is more pronounced, with significant blade interference from trailing vortices. Interestingly, an appropriately moderate increase in heave amplitude can actually reduce the intensity of load fluctuations. However, from a broader perspective, as the amplitude and frequency of heave motion increase, the fluctuations in tower top loads become more intense. It is worth noting that in engineering applications, attention should be paid to the potential resonance risks arising from the coupling effect between harmonics of the heave frequency and the rotor's rotational frequency under extreme conditions.

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loads / wind tunnels / towers / floating wind turbines / heave motion

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Yang Songsong, Liu Huiwen, Zhao Yushuai, Tayier Tuniyazi, Lin Ming, Tian Wenxin. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON IMPACT OF HEAVE MOTION ON TOWER TOP LOADS OF FLOATING WIND TURBINES[J]. Acta Energiae Solaris Sinica. 2026, 47(5): 197-204 https://doi.org/10.19912/j.0254-0096.tynxb.2024-2269

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