Improving Offshore Wind Energy: Effects of Increasing Wind Turbine Rotor Diameter on Power Output, Structural Safety, and Economic Viability

Abstract

Offshore wind energy has been increasing recently due to its ability to extract more energy due to the high wind speeds. Additionally, larger wind turbines are being developed to extract more wind power. The spar buoy is one of the floating foundations that are used in deep seas, but there is a lack of research in calculating the output power and mechanical stresses for large-scale wind turbines using a floating spar buoy as a foundation. This study aims to explore the benefits of large-scale wind turbines and their structural challenges and economic costs. Data was collected through in-depth research papers and analysed to calculate the structural challenges and estimate the technical and economic benefits. The analysis showed that increasing the rotor diameter by using direct drive and PMSG can generate power with high efficiency at high wind speeds. Also, the spar buoy design was found to withstand environmental and structural stresses, although it showed a higher levelized cost of energy compared to large-scale solar energy. The findings suggest that further research on the technical and economic impact of large-scale wind turbines with spar buoy foundation could benefit the energy industry.