Vibration suppression of a floating hydrostatic wind turbine model using bidirectional tuned liquid column mass damper

We propose to mitigate the barge pitch and roll motions of floating hydrostatic wind turbine (HWT) by combining the advantages of the bidirectional tuned liquid column damper (BTLCD) and the tuned mass damper (TMD). This is achieved by enabling the container of the BTLCD to move freely, connecting it to the main structure through springs and dampers, creating what we call a bidirectional tuned liquid column mass damper (BTLCMD). The BTLCMD is made by the hydraulic reservoir of the HWT, saving costs by avoiding the addition of extra mass and fluids. The HWT simulation model is obtained by replacing the geared drivetrain of the NREL 5-MW barge wind turbine model with a hydrostatic transmission drivetrain. The dynamics of the BTLCMD are then incorporated into the HWT. Two simplified mathematical models, describing the barge pitch and roll motions of the HWT-BTLCMD coupled system, are used to obtain the optimal parameters of the BTLCMD. Simulation results demonstrate that the BTLCMD is very effective in mitigating the barge pitch motion, barge roll motion, and the tower base load. The BTLCMD also largely outperforms the BTLCD in suppressing barge motions.