Danish Consortium Setting Up Test Lab for 20 MW Floating Wind Turbines

A consortium comprising DHI, Ørsted, Siemens Gamesa, Stiesdal Offshore, Stromning and Technical University of Denmark (DTU) will establish a test lab for floating wind turbines in the 20 MW class.

The project, named FloatLab and supported with DKK 15.3 million (approximately EUR 2 million) from Innovation Fund Denmark, will see the laboratory being set up at DHI, where a new wind generator and a new model-scale wind turbine will be built to be mounted on models of new floating foundations.

The lab will test 3D waves, loads from breaking waves, turbulence and failures of mooring lines. The measurements will be connected directly to calculation models in a digital twin setup.

The project partners say FloatLab contributes to uncovering new physics, reducing risks and validating the engineering models used for turbine and floating foundation design.

“FloatLab will change the way we combine numerical models and measurement data,” says Henrik Bredmose, Professor at DTU and leader of the project and continues: “We establish a direct link between the measurement setup and the calculation models, so that we can ultimately make the design process faster and more accurate.”

The FloatLab project will run until 2027 with gradual upgrading of the measurement setup, models and interconnections. The results will be presented at open workshops, conferences, a PhD summer school and will be included in the numerical calculation models, according to a press release from DHI.

“We are excited to contribute our expertise on the Tetra foundation and provide insights into the unique challenges regarding industrialisation faced by the floating wind industry. We eagerly anticipate our involvement in the project,” states Michael Borg, Chief Engineer at Stiesdal Offshore, project partner and developer of the Tetra floating foundation concept.