Optimization framework for multi-material mooring lines applied to floating offshore wind turbines

Resumo

As offshore activities move into deeper and harsher waters, conventional mooring systems face growing limitations. Traditional steel-based designs are heavy, costly, and prone to corrosion, prompting the exploration of alternatives. Lightweight synthetic fibers like polyester (PET), high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE), and polyamide offer advantages in weight and durability but also introduce trade-offs in strength, elasticity, fatigue resistance, and cost.One solution is hybrid mooring lines with combinations of different materials in series. This design balances the strengths of each material while minimizing their weaknesses. However, creating such systems is complex and requires careful tuning of material properties, dimensions, and configurations.This study presents an optimization framework for hybrid mooring systems, using simulations to assess performance under offshore conditions. Tools like OpenFAST are used to evaluate dynamic system responses to waves, currents, and winds. The optimization targets both performance and cost, balancing integrity, stability, and affordability.The approach is applied to floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs), specifically the OC4 DeepCwind 5 MW platform. The framework identifies optimal configurations for hybrid mooring lines, combining HMPE and polyester segments.