Experimental research on wind tracking performance of a single-point moored floating offshore wind turbine

Conventional wind turbine yaw systems, which are susceptible to frequent failures, can render the operation and maintenance costs of floating offshore wind turbines unacceptably high. As a result, the concept of a single-point moored floating offshore wind turbine has been introduced to eliminate the need for a wind turbine yaw system. However, the wind tracking characteristics of such turbines under complex marine conditions have not been fully elucidated. To address this gap, a 1:50 scale model of a single-point moored floating offshore wind turbine was tested to gain detailed insights into its wind tracking and wave response behaviors. The findings confirm the feasibility of single-point moored floating wind turbines. Specifically, the wind tracking motion is characterized by an initial acceleration phase followed by deceleration, with an average turning speed ranging from 1.61 to 4.0°/min under the tested cases. However, the rotor's orientation may deviate from the wind direction due to various factors, including gyroscopic moments, wind field uniformity, and hydrodynamic loads. Moreover, the single-point moored floating wind turbine also exhibits wave-following behavior, and the weathervane effect is observed when wind and waves act in different directions. These results offer valuable references for the design and testing of single-point moored floating offshore wind turbines.