Influence of Heave Face Plate in minimizing the heave response on FOWT type Classic SPAR: Hydrodynamic model testing

Abstract The FOWT (Floating Offshore Wind Turbine) Classic SPAR (Single Point Anchor Reservoir) hull is frequently employed in deep sea because of its elongated tubular structure. There is a significant demand for small floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) that can operate in water depths ranging from shallow to medium. The close proximity of the FOWT to the coast minimizes the requirement for lengthy power cables and enables efficient distribution of generated electricity to nearby coastal residences. This study discusses the implementation of a new Motion Reduction Device (MRD) called a heave face plate, which is designed to reduce the vertical motion of a Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (FOWT). This was illustrated by the implementation of gravity decay test models carried out in a hydrodynamic test tank. The experiments were conducted to investigate various changes in the ratio of heave plate diameter (ranging from 1.3 to 2.0) and variations in the height of the face plate (ranging from 0.5 m to 2.0 m). The findings indicated that the vertical dimension of the face plate had a notable influence on diminishing the vertical displacement amplitude and augmenting the natural period of heave motion (T N3 ).