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Floating Offshore Vertical Axis Wind Turbines: Opportunities, Challenges and Way Forward

Author

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  • Abel Arredondo-Galeana

    (Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0LZ, UK)

  • Feargal Brennan

    (Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0LZ, UK)

Abstract

The offshore wind sector is expanding to deep water locations through floating platforms. This poses challenges to horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) due to the ever growing size of blades and floating support structures. As such, maintaining the structural integrity and reducing the levelised cost of energy (LCoE) of floating HAWTs seems increasingly difficult. An alternative to these challenges could be found in floating offshore vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). It is known that VAWTs have certain advantages over HAWTs, and in fact, some small-scale developers have successfully commercialised their onshore prototypes. In contrast, it remains unknown whether VAWTs can offer an advantage for deep water floating offshore wind farms. Therefore, here we present a multi-criteria review of different aspects of VAWTs to address this question. It is found that wind farm power density and reliability could be decisive factors to make VAWTs a feasible alternative for deep water floating arrays. Finally, we propose a way forward based on the findings of this review.

Suggested Citation

  • Abel Arredondo-Galeana & Feargal Brennan, 2021. "Floating Offshore Vertical Axis Wind Turbines: Opportunities, Challenges and Way Forward," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-24, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:23:p:8000-:d:691891
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Micallef, 2023. "Advancements in Offshore Vertical Axis Wind Turbines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-3, February.
    2. Ghigo, Alberto & Faraggiana, Emilio & Giorgi, Giuseppe & Mattiazzo, Giuliana & Bracco, Giovanni, 2024. "Floating Vertical Axis Wind Turbines for offshore applications among potentialities and challenges: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    3. Mahmoud G. Hemeida & Ashraf M. Hemeida & Tomonobu Senjyu & Dina Osheba, 2022. "Renewable Energy Resources Technologies and Life Cycle Assessment: Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-36, December.
    4. Arredondo-Galeana, Abel & Olbert, Gerrit & Shi, Weichao & Brennan, Feargal, 2023. "Near wake hydrodynamics and structural design of a single foil cycloidal rotor in regular waves," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1020-1035.
    5. Subbulakshmi, A. & Verma, Mohit & Keerthana, M. & Sasmal, Saptarshi & Harikrishna, P. & Kapuria, Santosh, 2022. "Recent advances in experimental and numerical methods for dynamic analysis of floating offshore wind turbines — An integrated review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    6. Shern-Khai Ung & Wen-Tong Chong & Shabudin Mat & Jo-Han Ng & Yin-Hui Kok & Kok-Hoe Wong, 2022. "Investigation into the Aerodynamic Performance of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Endplate Design," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-26, September.
    7. Małgorzata Jastrzębska, 2022. "Installation’s Conception in the Field of Renewable Energy Sources for the Needs of the Silesian Botanical Garden," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-28, September.

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