Context

Offshore wind is established in Europe with a global potential to reach more than 100 GW by 2030. Of this, floating wind is estimated to constitute 10% of the market, in exploiting offshore sites where the available wind energy potential is up to four times higher than for fixed turbines. An anchoring system is easier to install and more flexible to geological natures than the foundation of fixed wind turbines. So, floating offshore wind may rapidly become a competitive alternative, for which the mooring system is a critical component. Actual floating wind sites are exposed to harsh environment in moderate to shallow water depth where standard catenary mooring layout is not a suitable solution. More efficient restoring forces and dynamics damping are insured by a semi-taut mooring layout composed of synthetic ropes. In reducing up to two times the seabed footprint, polyamide rope is a highly promising solution.

Objective

To develop in parallel both modelling tools for the mechanical behaviour of nylon fiber rope, and the appropriated long-term monitoring instruments based on a deep understanding of material degradation mechanisms.

Scientific and technical content

• Dedicated model based on the rheological hypothesis of a visco-elasto-plastic material.
• Development of sensors providing information on the interactions between global constraints and sub-constraints.
• Development of an approach integrating long-term sensors and a technic for prediction of high fatigue cycles.
• Sensors and models validation against sea-trials tests.

Resources

MONAMOOR project sheet (PDF)

Partners and funding

This project is led by Ifremer and France Energies Marines.

The total project budget is €2,000K.

This project receives funding from France Energies Marines and its members and partners, as well as French State funding managed by the National Research Agency under the France 2030 investment plan (ANR-10-IEED-06-34).

Photo credit: Onvictori0 / AdobeStock