Sink or Swim: A Tutorial on the Control of Floating Wind Turbines

Within the rapidly growing wind energy sector, floating offshore wind turbines are expected to be the fastest growing portion. This is largely driven by the immense offshore wind resources that are mostly over deep water, where fixed-bottom concepts become cost-prohibitive. However, compared to fixed-bottom wind turbines, floating wind turbines are more dynamic and exhibit potential instabilities, which requires advanced control technologies to ensure a safe and efficient operation. Beyond their existing objectives of maximizing power production while minimizing structural loads, floating wind turbine controllers must also avoid large platform oscillations and accommodate ocean wave and current disturbances. This paper provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities in the control of floating offshore wind energy systems.