QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

COMPLETE STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS FOR FLOATING
OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES -
WEBINAR

1 WITH REGARDS TO SOIL SIMULATION, IS THERE SOIL

INTERATION WITH MOORING SYSTEM?
In Sima there is no simulation of the soil as such, but the effect of bottom contact on the mooring
line is included.

2 IS THE TRIANGLE SHAPE FLOATER MORE STABLE THAN THE

SQUARE ONE?
The triangular shape is selected because it is used in the OC4 and OC5 projects. We have not made
any comparison with other shapes.

3 ARE DEMO SIMULATION FILES AVAILABLE FOR STUDYING?

We are working on making this into a workshop, but it will not be freely distributed.

4 WASIM TREATS INCIDENT WAVE AS NON-LINEAR BUT KEEPS

DIFFRACTION AND RADIATION LINEAR. HOW DOES THE
COUPLED ANALYSIS TACKLE THIS LIMITATION?
In the demo, Wasim was run in linear mode. This will be the most consistent with Sima. A non-linear
Wasim analysis is perfectly doable, but it must be expected that the load balance will not be as good
as in the linear case. This will give rise to larger reaction forces in the fixed points on the structure,
but in principle it will give a more accurate load distribution. It is up to the user to balance the pros
and cons here.
5 IS MEASURED DATA FROM THE HYWIND PROJECT USED TO
VALIDATE THE RESULTS OBTAINED WITH COUPLED ANALYSES
USING BLADED?
Both Bladed and Sima have been validated in the OC3 project, which is a similar structure to
Hywind.

6 CAN WE SET UP A FULL SET OF DESIGN LOAD CASES FOR

FLOATING TURBINE (BASED ON CERTIFICATION STANDARD)
USING A SIMA APPROACH?
Yes, but the standard is not built into Sima so you will need to define the load cases yourself.

7 IS IT POSSIBLE TO COUPLE THE AERO-ELASTO-DYNAMIC

MODULE WITH A DIFFERENT HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL? FOR
INSTANCE, ONE THAT THE USER PROVIDES THAT CAN HANDLE
MULTIPLE DEGREES OF FREEDOM/MULTPILE BODIES AND
NON-LINEAR FORCES, MEANING THAT WILL BE INPUTING
INTO THE SYSTEM TIME DOMAIN MOTIONS AND FORCES.
Yes. That is possible, but when the motion is prescribed that means that you are doing an
UNCOUPLED analysis.

8 DO YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE COUPLING THE ANALYSIS WITH

DETAILED CFD OF THE HYDRODYNAMIC LOADING?
No, but a probable scenario will be that the CFD analysis will be a third step. So step 1 is a long time
simulation with Sima, step 2 is one or more simulations with Wasim on selected time windows. Then
the most critical events from the Wasim analysis may be recomputed with full CFD.

9 I UNDERSTAND FROM THE PRESENTATION THAT TIME

VARYING PRESSURES ONTO THE MATRIX ELEMENTS ARE
AVAILABLE IN IRREGULAR WAVES? ARE THEY FULLY COUPLED
WITH WIND FORCES COMING FROM THE WIND TURBINE?
WHAT ABOUT SECOND ORDER FORCES? IS MOORING
QUASIESTATIC OF DYNAMIC MODEL?
That understanding is correct. The analysis is fully coupled with the wind forces that are represented
as a force time history at a selected location on the FE model. This force is in time domain and it will
include both wave frequency, low frequency and high frequency components. The low frequency
component will be due partly to low frequency wave effects and partly to the wind spectrum. The
high frequency component will be due to the elastic vibrations of the slender structure. Mooring
forces may be computed either by a quasi-static or by a fully dynamic method.
10 DOES YOUR SOFTWARE OFFER SUBMODELLING FOR JOINT
DETAIL INVESTIGATION?
Yes, that is a part of the Sesam package.

11 WHAT CONTROL SYSTEM OF THE WIND TURBINE CAN BE

USED? HOW CAN A CONTROLLER BE IMPORTED?
The internal (PI blade pitch + lookup table for generator torque) or a user-defined controller can be
used. The user-defined controller receives the rotor speed, hub position/velocity/acceleration, and
hub wind speed as input, and returns the generator torque and individual blade pitch angles as
output. The user-defined control interface is via java, and a wrapper for Bladed-style controllers is
also available.

12 SIMA: ARE THERE ANY LIMITATIONS TO DOF OF CONNECTED

SYSTEM ELEMENTS. SAY YOU WANT TO ADD ANOTHER
DEPENDENCY. WAVE AND WIND DEVICE WHERE THE WAVE
ENERGY CONVERTERS ARE PITCHING IN THE SURFACE.
WOULD THE SIMA SOLVER BE ABLE TO HANDLE MOTIONS IN
THE SURFACE?
Sima is highly flexible regarding connecting system elements, and has been used previously to
model combined wind and wave energy converters. (See for example Bachynski and Moan,
OMAE2013-10429). There are at present some limitations with respect to hydrodynamic interaction
in Coupled Riflex-Simo models, but these are expected to be resolved.

13 IN THE CASE THAT I MODEL THE BRACES IN HYDROD AS

SLENDER (MORISON), THEN THE HYDRODYNAMIC
COEFFICIENTS EXPORTED TO SIMA INCLUDE THEIR EFFECTS,
RIGHT (EVEN THOUGH I CANNOT SEE THE ELEMENTS
DIRECTLY EXPORTED)?
The contribution to added mass and excitation force is always included. The damping is not included
if stochastic linearization is used.

14 HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RUN A 600S COUPLED

SIMULATION?
With the demo example it will take around 200s. This is quite a simple example with only three
moorings. More mooring lines will increase the computational effort.
15 WHERE DO YOU ENTER THE GYROSCOPIC DATA FROM THE
TURBINE IN THE MOTION ANALYSIS? MASS, BLADE COG AND
TURBINE ROTATION SPEED?
The mass of the blades and their CoG is inherently modelled in the beam elements of a Riflex
turbine or within the turbine mass of a Simo turbine. The turbine rotation speed is a dynamic result,
depending on the generator torque and the aerodynamic torque, and is not input directly from the
user.

16 IS IT POSSIBLE TO RUN THE WORKFLOW FROM THE

COMMAND LINE INSTEAD OF USING THE GUI?
Yes, except for the Sima to HydroD translation step.

17 IS THERE ANY WAY TO KEEP THE STRUCTURAL FLEXIBILITY

BETWEEN THE SIMA COUPLED ANALYSIS AND THE WASIM?
IMPORTANT TO CAPTURE E.G. 3P EFFECTS.
For the floater, which is analysed by Sestra, the structural displacement is computed by Sestra. For
those parts of the coupled system that are not part of the floater model (typically moorings, tower,
turbine and blades), the slender system, the effect of the elasticity will be reflected in the
connection force between the slender system and the floater.

18 HOW DO WE KNOW OUR FINAL FULLY COUPLED ANALYSIS IS

CORRECT? ARE THERE MEASUREMENTS OR SOMETHING ELSE
WE CAN COMPARE?
Like for all other numerical computations the best is to compare with measurements. If
measurements are not available, you need to use engineering judgement. The tools shown have
been compared with several model tests with good success. Sima is developed by Sintef and often
used together with model tests in the ocean basin.

19 HAS DNV GL TESTED OTHER MULTIBODY DYNAMICS

SOFTWARES SUCH AS MSC ADAMS FOR THE COUPLED
ANALYSIS?
No, we have focused on our own tools (Sima and Bladed).

20 WHAT KIND OF ANALYSIS IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO WITH ONLY

SIMA?
There are two main types of analysis: Coupled analysis with one or more floaters including moorings
and risers. These systems may have any complexity. The other is marine operations, which includes
lifting, float-over, launching, upending and pipe-laying.
21 IS MY UNDERSTANDING CORRECT THAT THE SAME
PROCEDURE WOULD APPLY TO FIXED STRUCTURES WITH A
LARGE SUBMERGED VOLUME (E.G. GRAVITY BASE OR PILE
CAP)?
Yes.

22 I ASSUME THAT SESAM CAN COMPUTE DIFFRACTION LOADS

ON NON-SLENDER BEAMS USING THE FORMULATION
ACCORDING TO MACCAMY & FUCHS?
Yes.

23 DOES YOUR SOFTWARE OFFER CODE COMPLIANCE CHECKS?

Yes.

24 HYDROD JUST SOLVES (UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED) UP

TO THE FIRST POTENTIAL (PHI_1), RIGHT?
Yes.

25 IS IT POSSIBLE TO MODEL EVERYTHING ON SIMA AND ONLY

AFTERWARDS TO GET HYDRODYNAMIC PROPERTIES IN
HYDROD?
It is possible to do the entire analysis in Sima provided that all the hydrodynamics can be done
using Morison's equation. A slender body model made in Sima cannot be directly used in HydroD.

26 YOUR LOCATION CONVERSION OF THE WAVES SEEMS TO BE

BASED ON AIRY WAVES. BUT HOW DO WE DEAL WITH NON-
LINEAR EXTREME WAVES?
In the context shown we are working with random seas. Non-linear models for random seas are
being developed and will hopefully be implemented into Wasim at a later stage.

27 DOES YOUR SOFTWARE INCORPORATE DNV GL

RECOMMENDED PRACTICES?
Yes.

28 HOW DOES WADAM BEHAVE WHEN CLEARANCE (DISTANCE

FROM KEEL TO SEABED) IS SMALL, FOR INSTANCE LESS THAN
5 METERS?
That should be no problem, but it must be considered when making the mesh. The lower part of the
structure will require a finer mesh when it is close to the seabed than when it is in deep water.
29 IS NEWMAN'S APPROXIMATION ONLY APPLICABLE TO WATER
DEPTH OF 100M AND MORE?
There are many limitations to Newman's approximation so it must be used with care. This is why we
have just released an update of Wadam with much more efficient handling of the full second-order
solution.

30 DOES YOUR SOFWARE HAVE LOAD COMBINATIONS

GENERATORS?
In the post processing for buckling and code checks it is possible to make load combinations.

31 WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES/LIMITATIONS OF SIMA

COMPARED WITH BLADED IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE
TURBINE?
The details of the turbine can be modelled in more detail in Bladed.

32 HOW DOES SIMA ANALYSE THE QUADRATIC NON-LINEAR

DATA FROM HYDROD? AS IT DOES WITH THE LINEAR DATA OR
APPLYING DIFFERENT THEORY?
The second-order data are only forces, not added mass and damping. The second-order force is in
principle handled in the same way as the first order excitation force, i.e. to combine the RAO with
the wave definition.

33 CAN YOU APPLY WIND LOAD ON SHELL ELEMENTS?

Yes, but that must be defined in the modelling program (GeniE).

34 IS PANEL MODEL ONLY FOR THE OUTER PLATE? SHOULD I

MESH THE INNER PLATE?
The panel model is for the outer plate. In addition, it may include the compartments if internal
hydrodynamics are to be included in the analysis.

35 WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ROGUE/FREAK WAVES IN

DESIGN OF OWT?
This is always an important thing to consider, also for floating OWT.

36 WILL THE PRESSURES CALCULATED IN WASIM BE FOR

UNDIFFRACTED WAVE?
No, it will include both radiation and diffraction effects.
37 WHAT ARE THE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS ON THE FLOATER,
BESIDES THE PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION AND FORCES FROM
THE TOWER, WHEN YOU COMPUTE THE STRESSES BY MEANS
OF AN FEM MODEL?
You need to apply fixations of the structure so that the rigid body motion is removed from the
analysis. This is typically done by selecting one point which is fixed, one point which is fixed in two
directions and one point which is fixed in one direction. It is recommended to put these points on
non-critical parts of the structure since there will be local errors in the computed stresses in a small
region around these points.

38 DO YOU HAVE A SINGLE LICENSE PRODUCT THAT SUPPORTS

ALL MODULES TO PERFORM THIS ANALYSIS?
No, we have not made a package for floating OWT. This is because we want to allow flexibility for
the customers so that they do not need to buy more than what they need.

39 WHY DO YOU REGENERATE THE TIME SERIES WITH WASIM IF

YOU CAN EXTRACT THEM DIRECTLY FROM SIMA?
The point is not to regenerate the wave elevation in the given point, but to regenerate the entire
wave kinematics in the whole fluid domain. This can be achieved by selecting a set of Airy wave
components, the amplitudes and phases of which are computed so that the resulting wave elevation
is identical to the elevation used in Sima.

40 IS SIMA AT PAR WITH BLADED IN TERMS OF AERO-SERVO-

ELASTIC CAPABILITIES?
Sima has better functionality for modelling the mooring system, Bladed has better functionality for
modelling the wind turbine.

41 FOR ANALYSIS FOR OFFSHORE FARM, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO

INTRODUCE MORE COMPLICATED ENVIRONMENTAL
CONDITIONS, SUCH AS NON-UNIFORM WAVES?
It is a bit unclear what is meant by non-uniform waves. The waves are modelled by a sea-state
which may be long crested or short crested.

42 IN THE DEMO SHOWN, ARE YOU ANALYSING THE STRUCTURE

IN EVERY TIME STEP FOR THE CHOSEN SHORT TIME
WINDOW? IS IT POSSIBLE TO CALCULATE SECTION FORCE
TIME HISTORIES FOR A LONG TIME WINDOW, FIND THE
PEAKS, AND ANALYSE THE STRUCTURE ONLY AT PEAK
SNAPSHOTS?
Yes this is possible, and will often be the most relevant method.
43 IS A SPECIAL LICENCE REQUIRED TO USE MULTI-BODY
ANALYSIS?
For Sima multi-body analysis is always included. For Wadam an additional license is required.

44 WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN THE PRESENTATION

AFTERWARDS?
The webinar has been recorded and you will get a link to the recording.

45 SHOULD ROGUE WAVES BE ACCOUNTED FOR IN DESIGN?

Yes.

46 HOW ARE THE BEAM ELEMENTS COUPLED TO THE

"BLUFF"/RIGID BODIES?
There are many options for this so this is very much up to the user.

47 HOW FAST IS IT TO COMPUTE STRESS ANALYSIS AT EACH

TIME STEP OF THE TIME SERIES (E.G. 3 HOURS SPECTRA)?
This will depend strongly on the size of the FEM model (number of elements). There is no general
rule.

48 IS THERE COUPLING BETWEEN SESAM AND OTHER DNV GL

SOFTWARE LIKE BLADED?
Hydrodynamic results from Wadam can be imported into Bladed. At present, we do not have a
translator from Bladed into Wasim, but the translator is a Python script which we are happy to share
with users who want to modify it to read other file formats than Sima.

49 HAVE YOU COMPARED YOUR RESULTS WITH AN OPEN SOURCE

CODE LIKE FAST?
There are some comparisons, e.g. from the OC3 project.

50 DO YOU EXPECT TO ADD MORE FEATURES FROM THE TURBSIM

PROGRAM INTO SIMA AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, SUCH
AS THE POSSIBILITY OF GENERATING KAIMAL OR VON
KARMAN SPECTRAL MODELS?
Any wind file in “Bladed full-field” format from TurbSim can be read in Sima (any spectral model).
TurbSim can also be run directly from Sima as a part of a Sima workflow, but must be installed
separately by the user.
51 ONE THING I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IS HOW THE
PROGRAM EXECUTION SPEED OF A COUPLED ANALYSIS USING
BLADED AND SESAM COMPARES TO THE EXECUTION SPEED OF
A COUPLED ANALYSIS IN BLADED ALONE. DOES THE
COMBINATION WITH SESAM GIVE ANY SPEED ADVANTAGES?
I AM ASSUMING THE USE OF INSTANTANEOUS HYDROSTATICS
AND 3D DIFFRACTION THEORY. THIS QUESTION AIMS AT THE
CASE WHEN ONLY TURBINE LOAD ANALYSIS AND THE
FOUNDATION MOTION BEHAVIOR ARE ASSESSED.
We have not made any such comparisons. Bladed alone is only an option if the structure is beams
only. If there is a combination of beams and plates the structural analysis must be done in Sesam.