Definition of a Baseline Rotor Design for a 25MW Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

Abstract Wind turbine sizes have grown rapidly in recent years with machine ratings of 15-16 MW available from multiple manufacturers for offshore wind turbines. While the industry advances large-scale turbine designs, offshore developers have initially focused on siting in shallow waters on bottom-fixed foundations; however, eyes are also on deep-water locations where floating systems are required. The present study presents the definition for an initial baseline rotor design at 25 MW scale, designed for a floating offshore system. The purpose of this paper is to document this 25 MW blade definition for use as a reference design for future floating wind technology development by industrial and academic researchers and developers. As this is an initial reference design, some opportunities (and plans) for further mass or cost reduction are also noted. In summary, the paper documents the initial baseline rotor design including aerodynamic and structural design of the rotor blades, along with key details about the control system and floating system designs for the floating 25 MW wind turbine system.