Physical modelling tests of the floating wind turbine, Stinger Keel

In our labs we’ve been testing a floating wind turbine foundation design – the Stinger Keel – supporting energy transition. We are helping analyse and develop Floating Energy Systems’ structure as part of a consortium funded by Innovate UK.

Floating wind structures can be used in deep seas, opening up expansion options to the offshore wind industry. Suitable fixed bottom sites will become congested in some countries, while others don’t have the luxury of a shallow continental shelf, so using deep-water sites with floaters is the answer. However, whilst deep water offers stronger winds with improved capacity factors, it also means that the massive floating foundations – akin to oil and gas platforms – have to cope with more extreme wave and hydrodynamic forces. Properly understanding and quantifying these forces is key to a successful engineering design.

To run the physical modelling tests, our engineers built a model (1:67 scale) of the Stinger Keel structure. This featured FES design’s distinctive keel – long for stability in high seas but with a hinged connection so that it fits in the shallower depths of a port from where it can be floated out to its installation site.

In our Fast Flow Facility, engineers generated a range of wave conditions in to gather data on the model’s behaviour, including examining the strength of the keel’s folding connection. The team also ran tests in the labs for different wind directions and mooring configurations.

The data gathered validated our computational models, which will help the consortium refine design, cutting construction costs and ensuring safety.