Efficient Global Optimization of dynamic power cable configurations for floating offshore wind turbines

Abstract The power cable transmits electrical energy between floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) and consumers, making it a crucial part of electrical supply chains. The power cable extends from the floating platform to the seabed in a dynamic configuration, which is highly susceptible to damage. This study proposes a methodology to design and optimize dynamic tethered-wave power cable configurations. The method integrates steady-state analysis of the power cable under different environmental loading conditions with Efficient Global Optimization (EGO) to find the configuration with the minimum curvature within the defined design space. The method is demonstrated with a setup in a water depth of 200 m using five design parameters. The optimization process required between 102 to 168 cases to converge to a solution in a time between 38.5 min to 59.3 min. This method can make the design process for power cable configurations faster and more efficient than traditional methods. It also offers valuable insights into the general behavior of dynamic power cable configurations.