Review of mooring line and anchor-seabed interaction for floating wind turbines

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New offshore wind installations in Europe account for approximately 15% to 20% of the total wind farm capacity connected to the grid. Currently, offshore wind development is primarily focused on relatively shallow waters, relying on fixed foundations such as monopiles or jackets. However, as the exploitation of offshore wind energy ventures into deeper and more distant seas, floating wind turbines (FWTs) offer distinct advantages. FWTs require mooring systems, which include mooring lines and anchors, to ensure stable positioning. Consequently, the safety and reliability of the mooring system are critical to the successful operation of FWTs. This paper reviewed the interaction of mooring systems and seabed for FWTs, focusing on some problems related to geotechnical engineering for floating wind. First, an introduction to the development of floating structures and mooring systems for FWTs is introduced. Then, the mooring line-clay interaction and its induced seabed erosion and trenching problems are analyzed. Thirdly, mooring line-sand interaction is discussed with a focus of chain-sand axial interaction and chain profile prediction. After that, anchor design and analysis are mentioned, and the new-type caisson-plate gravity anchor is analyzed as the shared anchor. Finally, considering the mooring system-seabed interaction, the integrated analysis for FWTs based on macro-models is conducted under static and dynamic conditions. This review paper provides some insights into the geotechnical problems for FWTs.

5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics (ISFOG2025)

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