Influence of Varying Fractal Characteristics on the Dynamic Response of a Semi-Submersible Floating Wind Turbine Platform

Offshore wind turbines positioned in deepwater areas are increasingly favored due to them providing superior and stable wind resources. However, the dynamic stability of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) under complex environmental loading remains challenging. This study proposes a novel semi-submersible platform featuring a fractal structure inspired by the venation of Victoria Amazonica and investigates the effects of fractal branching level and biomimetic structural height on platform motions, with the aim of enhancing the overall system stability of FOWTs. Within a high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework coupled with a dynamic fluid–body interaction (DFBI) model and a volume-of-fluid (VOF) wave model, the dynamic responses of the biomimetic platform are investigated under varying fractal dimensions (Df) and structural heights. The results indicate that increasing fractal complexity enhances the local wall viscosity effect, significantly improving energy dissipation capabilities within the fractal cavities. Specifically, an eight-level fractal structure shows optimal performance, achieving reductions of approximately 16.94%, 23.26%, and 35.63% in heave, pitch, and rotational energy responses, respectively. Additionally, the increasing fractal height further strengthens energy dissipation, markedly enhancing stability, particularly in pitch motion. These findings underscore the substantial potential of biomimetic fractal designs in enhancing the dynamic stability of FOWTs.