Analysis of the wet-towing operation of a semi-submersible floating wind turbine using a single tugboat

This research investigates the towing dynamic of a semi-submersible floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) towed by a tugboat. Initially, the towing resistance of the FOWT towing system in still water is analyzed through a combination of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method and empirical formulas. Subsequently, the preliminary towing scheme is determined. After that, the numerical model of the towing system, encompassing the FOWT, towing cables and the tugboat is established in ANSYS-AQWA. Furthermore, the dynamic responses of the towing system in varied working conditions are evaluated. Conclusively, the feasibility of the towing scheme is assessed based on the numerical simulation results. The designed model considers the effects of the towing speed and environment loads during wet towing which may be potentially helpful in offering a reference to the practical engineering.