The Anonymous Widower

Principle Power Unveils New Floating Wind Foundations For 15 MW+ Turbines

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.

This is the sub-heading.

Principle Power has expanded its WindFloat portfolio by introducing two new semisubmersible floating wind foundation designs, called WindFloat TC and WindFloat FC, which are said to be optimised for 15 MW+ wind turbines.

A large picture and these two paragraphs introduce the new designs.

According to the company, the new designs are natural evolutions of the existing WindFloat technologies that support a wind turbine located on a column in the centre of the platform.

Designed to complement the existing perimeter column designs WindFloat T and WindFloat F, the new solutions share the same 4th generation design heritage and benefits.

Smart Hull Trim System

The article also mentions a Smart Hull Trim System in this sentence.

Some of these include a Smart Hull Trim system to maximise annual energy production and reduce loads.

I would assume that the Smart Hull Trim System, works very much like the control surfaces of an aeroplane or submarine to keep the craft straight and level.

On the Principle Power web site, the various WindFloats are described as follows.

• WindFloat T – Proven WindFloat® design, suitable for tubular construction.
• WindFloat F – A pontoon-based design suitable for flat panel construction.
• WindFloat TC & FC – Center column design solutions, optimized for 15MW+ turbines with stiff-stiff towers.

From work, I did in the 1970s, with two Cambridge University engineering professors, I reckon that the TC and FC designs will be the best.

Conclusion

Whatever way you look at it, a 15 MW+ floating wind turbine, when you consider they can have capacity factors in excess of 50 %, could be a very powerful electricity generator.

September 17, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Design, Energy | Cambridge University, Floating Wind Power, Offshore Wind Power, Principle Power, Wind Power, WindFloat