School of Engineering

Name: Sam Forghani

Student ID: 681181

Project Title: The Conceptual Design of an Offshore

Energy Island

Course: BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering

Supervisor: Prof. Carl Ross

Date: 2015/16
 Declaration of Originality and Approval of Research Ethics

Project Title: - The Conceptual Design of an Offshore Energy Island

Student Name: - Sam Forghani

HEMIS Number: - 681181

‘I certify that this is my own work, and it has not previously been submitted
for any assessed qualification. I certify that School of Engineering research
ethics approval has been obtained and the use of material from other sources
has been properly and fully acknowledged in the text’.

Signed:-______________________ Dated: - ________________

I
ABSTRACT
This study explores various renewable energy techniques, and how to utilise them, as an
alternative to using fossil fuels. The study will focus on two main areas: Renewable Energy
Techniques and an initial design of a Renewable Energy Farm. With a rapid rise in global
population, it is thought that energy demand will climb. The use of fossil fuels as a main
source of energy is not a maintainable solution any longer due to environmental pollution
and the deficiency of fossil fuel sources.

Consequently, a sustainable method of generating energy is needed. Renewable energy is a

clean and sustainable method of producing energy, but not much focus has gone to renewable
energy due to high cost and reliability of the technology.

An offshore renewable energy farm, which utilizes wind turbines could resolve difficulties
that hinder onshore renewable energy farms. Using these renewable energy techniques, a
massive development can be made for countries who want to advance their sustainable clean
energy.

II
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to show my appreciation to my project supervisor Prof. Dr. Carl T. F. Ross, who
I have worked with during the development of the “Renewable Energy Island”. His expertise
and vast knowledge of renewable energy and solid mechanics was critical in guiding me
during this venture. He kindly provided reading materials and general advice for this
assignment.

III
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1

2. AIMS & OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................. 4

3. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 5

3.1 Renewable Energy .................................................................................................. 5

3.1.1 Solar Energy [12] ............................................................................................ 5

3.1.2 Biomass Energy [12] ....................................................................................... 6

3.1.3 Hydropower [12] ............................................................................................. 6

3.1.4 Wind Energy [12] ............................................................................................ 7

3.1.5 Summary of Renewable Energy [12] ............................................................ 10

3.2 Alternate Sources of Energy ................................................................................. 11

3.2.1 Nuclear Energy [61] ...................................................................................... 11

3.3 Review .................................................................................................................. 12

3.4 Floating Wind Turbines [21] ................................................................................ 13

3.5 Troll A Platform [23] ............................................................................................ 14

3.6 History of Floating Islands ................................................................................... 14

3.6.1 Freedom Ship [57] ......................................................................................... 15

3.6.2 Conceptual Design of a Floating Island [58] ................................................. 15

3.7 Siting [25] ............................................................................................................. 16

3.8 Lame’s Theory [28] .............................................................................................. 17

3.9 Mooring Systems [30] .......................................................................................... 19

3.10 Wave-Wind Relations [31]. .................................................................................. 19

3.11 Concrete [59] ........................................................................................................ 20

4. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 21

4.1 Conceptual Design ................................................................................................ 21

4.2 Design Overview .................................................................................................. 22

IV
 4.3 Materials Used for Construction ........................................................................... 23

4.4 Structural Design .................................................................................................. 24

4.5 Nonlinear Buckling of a Leg under External Pressure (ANSYS)......................... 27

4.6 Hydrostatic Stability of Platform [28] .................................................................. 32

4.7 Wind Turbine ........................................................................................................ 33

4.8 Weight of Island .................................................................................................... 34

4.9 Construction of Island ........................................................................................... 34

4.10 Location of Island ................................................................................................. 35

4.11 Costs & Payback ................................................................................................... 36

4.12 Carbon Emissions ................................................................................................. 36

4.13 Features of Design ................................................................................................ 37

4.14 Safety .................................................................................................................... 37

4.15 The Final Conceptual Design ............................................................................... 38

5. DISCUSSION/RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................... 39

5.1 Advantages/Disadvantages of Design .................................................................. 39

5.2 Recommended Improvements .............................................................................. 40

6. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 43

6.1 Project Evaluation ................................................................................................. 44

7. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 45

8. APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. 50

9. ADDENDUM............................................................................................................... 52

V
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1- Types of Wind Turbines [12] .................................................................................. 7
Table 2-Design Overview of Island..................................................................................... 22
Table 3-Physical Properties of fibre reinforced concrete [32] ............................................ 23
Table 4-Physical Properties of S Glass [34] ........................................................................ 23
Table 5-Properties of base unit ............................................................................................ 24
Table 6-Data of the V164-8.0MW Turbine [35] ................................................................. 33
Table 7-Weight of Project ................................................................................................... 34
Table 8-Potential locations for Island .................................................................................. 35
Table 9-Estimated Costs of Project ..................................................................................... 36
Table 10-Estimated Payback Period of Project ................................................................... 36
Table 13-An overview of current floating wind turbine technologies [21]......................... 50
Table 15-Configuration of Mooring Lines [29] .................................................................. 51

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1-Horizontal-Axis Turbines [14]................................................................................ 7

Figure 2-Vertical-Axis Turbine [15] ..................................................................................... 7
Figure 3: APAC New investment in clean energy by sector [62] ......................................... 9
Figure 4-Offshore Foundations [22] .................................................................................... 13
Figure 5-Troll A Platform [24] ............................................................................................ 14
Figure 6-The Freedom Ship [57] ......................................................................................... 15
Figure 7-Prof Carl Ross's Floating Island [58] .................................................................... 15
Figure 8-Offshore UK wind Farm Zones [26]..................................................................... 16
Figure 9-Thick Cylinder [29] .............................................................................................. 17
Figure 10-Global Trends in Wind Speed and Wave Height [32] ........................................ 19
Figure 11-Energy of Production for Common Materials [59] ............................................. 20
Figure 12-112 MW Energy Farm Isometric View .............................................................. 21
Figure 13-112 MW Energy Farm View Below ................................................................... 21
Figure 14-112 MW Energy Farm View Front ..................................................................... 22
Figure 15-Base Unit of Island ............................................................................................. 25
Figure 16-Platform of Island ............................................................................................... 25
Figure 17-Cylindrical legs of the Island .............................................................................. 26
VI
Figure 18-Definition of the element type for Eigen Buckling ............................................ 27
Figure 19-Selection of material properties .......................................................................... 27
Figure 20-Defining Wall Thickness .................................................................................... 28
Figure 21-Creation of the structure ..................................................................................... 28
Figure 22-Meshing of Model............................................................................................... 28
Figure 23-Setting of Boundary Conditions ......................................................................... 29
Figure 24-Applying of Loads .............................................................................................. 29
Figure 25-Adjusting of settings on ANSYS ........................................................................ 30
Figure 26-Simulation of test ................................................................................................ 30
Figure 27-Viewing of Results.............................................................................................. 31
Figure 28-Graph Representing Critical Eigen Buckling Force ........................................... 31
Figure 29-Wind turbine Spacing Increments....................................................................... 33
Figure 30-Potential Location of Island [37] ........................................................................ 35
Figure 31-The Conceptual Design of the 112MW Island ................................................... 38
Figure 32-A 3D printed house in China [41]....................................................................... 40
Figure 33-Sandwich Composite [43]................................................................................... 41
Figure 34-Solar-Wind Turbines [45] ................................................................................... 41
Figure 35-Ocean Thermal Conversion Plant [47] ............................................................... 42
Figure 36-Airborne Wind Turbines [60] ............................................................................. 42

LIST OF EQUATIONS

Equation 1-Hoop Stress ....................................................................................................... 17

Equation 2-Radial Stress ..................................................................................................... 17
Equation 3-Constant A with boundary conditions .............................................................. 18
Equation 4-Constant B with boundary conditions ............................................................... 18
Equation 5-Lame's Equation for Hoop Stress ..................................................................... 18
Equation 6-Lame's Equation for Radial Stress .................................................................... 18
Equation 7-Lame's Equation for Axial Stress ..................................................................... 18
Equation 8-Hydrostatic Pressure Equation .......................................................................... 32

VII
NOTATIONS
DISTANCE

● mm = Millimetre
● m = Metre
● km = Kilometre
● n.m. = Nautical Mile

WEIGHT

● T = Metric Tonne
● Kg = Kilogram

POWER

● W = Watt
● kW = Kilowatt
● MW = Megawatt
● GW = Gigawatt

AREA & VOLUME

● m2 = Metre Squared
● m3 = Metre Cubed

OTHERS

● CG = Centre Gravity
● CB = Centre Buoyancy

VIII
1. INTRODUCTION
The UN has declared that the global population reached 7 billion in 2011, with no indication
of stopping [1]. Overpopulation has caused many ecological issues, such as; depletion of
natural resources, increased global warming and increased loss of habitats [2]. Additionally,
many social and political problems have arisen such as an increase in unemployment and
higher living costs [3].

Energy is required for many daily life tasks, including cooking, heating, transportation and
entertainment. All this energy originates from fuels such as oil, gas, coal and wood. These
are labelled as primary energy sources. Electricity became the most used energy type after
the second industrial revolution in the 19th century, and now in the 21st century most devices
use electricity. In recent years, car companies such as BMW have started to produce electric
cars, which are environmentally friendly and sustainable, to replace cars that run on fossil
fuels which are inefficient and create ecological concerns [4].

It is also safe to assume that the demand for energy usage, such as electricity, will soar due
to the increment of global population and industrialization in more developing countries. In
order to meet the increasing energy demands, the world needs more fossil fuels as there is a
heavy reliance on them to produce electricity [5].

In the past, fossil fuels appeared to be the key for the rising energy demand due to their
availability and low costs. However, these factors have become questionable due to
continued and heavy increase in the production of fossil fuels. Currently, the production of
oil has been exhausted because of depletions of oil sources available. It is predicted that
within 70 years, the world's current oil reserves will be depleted [6]. This will be
accompanied by peak production of natural gas by 2020 as well as coal by 2030 [7].
Therefore, this would make the use of fossil fuels too expensive and unsustainable.
Furthermore, fossil fuels impact the environment, such as climate change, air pollution, oil
spills, and acid rain [8]. The world needs a sustainable method to produce energy, which has
little negative impact on the environment and brings about social benefits.

The United Nations Framework convention on climate change (UNFCC) recognized that
there was a problem and therefore set a goal that would allow ecosystems to adapt naturally
to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic
1
development to proceed in a sustainable manner. The journey was kick-started by the Kyoto
Protocol (1997), which was designed to encourage industrialized countries to stabilize
greenhouse gas emissions based on the principles of the Convention.

At COP 21 in Paris, Parties to the UNFCCC reached a historic agreement to combat climate
change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable
low carbon future [64].

In Paris, the main target is to keep a global temperature rise this century below 2 degrees
Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase
even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius for the years to come.

Compared with fossil fuel, Nuclear power, is sustainable and clean. However, nuclear energy
is not the answer to sustainability, due to the previous disasters; Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
disaster (2011), Chernobyl disaster (1986) and Three Mile Island accident (1979). Nuclear
power is a rewarding method of extracting energy, but the risks are too high when calamities
occur. Furthermore damages caused by radiation to the environment are devastating.
Presently, the Japanese government have spent £908 million on cleaning areas, which was
once the home to 79,000 people. Even with all this funding there is no security to those
returning, due to health concerns [49]. The previous disastrous events have shown that it is
difficult to devise a full proof solution to prevent contaminations. Indeed it is the lasting
impact of this contamination that will pose a major issue due to the radioactive elements
half-life (ability to halve its radiation over time).

The earth provides us with wind, sunshine, heat and waves, which are readily available. All
these energy sources are renewable and have the potential to produce electricity. Despite
this, renewables cannot operate at their maximum potential due to factors such as public
approval, high initial costs and space usage. Renewable technology such as wind turbines
and photovoltaic solar panels tend to operate over larger areas. This has caused problems
with setting up, usage and maintenance of the technology. However, due to the large spacing
between each unit, the system is unlikely to experience damage due to weather conditions.
Hurricane Sandy demolished New York’s and New Jersey’s fossil fuel powered electric
generator and distribution system resulting in millions without power [9]. Conversely, the
renewable technology that was affected by the hurricane faced insignificant damages,

2
because of the spread out layout that allowed turbines and PV panels to operate without
being affected [10].

The use of renewable energy brings about the reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide that
escapes into the atmosphere due to energy usage (carbon footprint). This in turn helps to
tackle the issue of climate change. [65]

With an offshore renewable energy farm, it would be easier to utilise various renewable
energy techniques as there aren’t many physical difficulties in the ocean. Also wind energy
is more readily available, offshore as opposed to onshore. The use of wind energy on the
farm would be a benefit, as the wind speeds are typically higher and more consistent offshore
than onshore. Furthermore, renewable energy farms can be reflected as beneficial to the
environment. The protection of habitats for marine wild life is a good example. Underneath
a renewable energy farm could be a rough terrain due to movement of ocean currents that
would allow for the growth of water vegetation. Water vegetation are known to have
cleansing properties on the water [11]. However, “Renewable Energy Islands” could be
critiqued for creating shadows at the depths of the ocean. To resolve this, a system may be
established to permit light to pass through the structure.

3
2. AIMS & OBJECTIVES

The aim of this report is to design a Conceptual Offshore Energy Farm, which can be used
as an alternative to fossil fuels and nuclear plants, whilst complying with the NIMBY
protocol. Research method include; books, websites, articles, journals, and videos. The
various sources of data, will be used to analyse existing sustainable energy technology and
then will be evaluated and implemented into the artefact of the proposed Offshore Energy
Farm.

4
3. LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1 Renewable Energy

There are four main types of renewable energy sources;

1. Solar Power
2. Biomass Power
3. Hydropower
4. Wind Power

Each of the following will be elaborated on in the following sections.

3.1.1 Solar Energy [12]

Solar energy is obtained from the Sun, which is the most accessible renewable energy source,
during the day. Solar collectors are used to absorb sunlight and then is altered into heat. Solar
collectors tend to have black surface for greater solar absorption. There are two types of solar
systems;

● Active Solar Systems- The use of mechanical parts are used to absorb sunlight and
convert it into electricity. A use of active solar system is a water heating system, where
water is driven to the solar collector. The solar absorption in the solar cells increases the
temperature of the water, which is then put in insulated storage.
● Passive Solar Systems- The use non-mechanical methods to obtain sunlight into energy.
This design is incorporated with structures, so solar power can be generated without
mechanical parts.
Photovoltaic Solar Panels (PV)

There are two types of PV cell, namely;

● Crystalline silicon
● Thin-film technology.
These cells can operate independently as well as grouped in an arrangement to generate a
DC current which is converted to an AC current.

The initial cost of PV technology is high and consists of installation, operation and
maintenance costs. In spite of its cost, PV panels are noiseless and reduce visual pollution

5
as they can be placed on the roof. Additionally, PV panels can be made in all shapes & sizes
to best suit their surrounding environment.

PV panel’s efficiency is at its highest on a clear sunny day, but non-productive at night. Also
PV cells contain amounts of toxic, and can cause electrical shock. Still, these can be avoided
with a good system design along with appropriate maintenance.

3.1.2 Biomass Energy [12]

Biomass is in most organic resources such as sewage and animal waste. Biofuels can exist
in these states; solids, liquids or gasses. The use of biomass was massive until the Industrial
Revolution where fossil fuels were used instead. However, 14% of the world wide primary
energy supply is from biomass [13].

Biomass is a fantastic source of electricity production, both practically and legally. Firstly,
waste requires vast storage space, thus landfills are very costly to run and maintain.
However, using the waste as biofuels removes the storage issue whilst producing a beneficial
energy source. Finally, it is illegal to burn the wastes unless it is done with proper
documentation. But if waste is converted into biofuel, it can be used instead of fossil fuels,
resulting in retaining the Earth limited space.

Conversely, a study by the Financial Times showed that biofuel fuel systems operate at
efficiency rates as low as 14-18% due to moisture content. The efficiency could be improved
by drying the waste, but at an enormous cost, labour and time.

3.1.3 Hydropower [12]

In 1832, Benoit Fourneyron created a water turbine that was fully submerged and able to
convert water into mechanical energy, at an 80% efficiency. Today, hydropower contributes
10% of America’s total energy.

Theories of Hydropower

● ‘Head’ is known as elevation of water which is divided into 3 categories; low,

medium and high. Water from high is more powerful, which usually elevates above
100m, thus a very important factor to consider. Yet, there are other factors such as
volume and current that also need to be taken into consideration. Deviation of these
factors can have diverse effects on the output of hydropower.
6
 ● ‘Turbine’ converts the current into useable work. The different categories of head
require certain type of turbines. Each turbine consists of curved blades organised in
a fashion that deflect the water to produce the maximum level of energy.
● ‘Runner’ channels the water to the turbine. A runner produces a jet to exploit the
energy potential. The type of runner depends on the type of turbine.

3.1.4 Wind Energy [12]

Wind power is produced via air currents with wind turbines. Wind energy is plentiful,
renewable, widely distributed, clean and zero emissions making it an attractive alternative
to fossil fuels. The ecological effects of wind power are less problematic than non-renewable
sources. There are 2 types of wind turbines as shown in Table 1:

Table 1- Types of Wind Turbines [12]

Horizontal-Axis Turbines Vertical-axis Turbines

Figure 1-Horizontal-Axis Turbines [14] Figure 2-Vertical-Axis Turbine [15]

● Potential to generate large supplies of ● 2-3 blades are used with

electricity. vertically operating rotor
● Yawing mechanism is used to guarantee shafts
rotation axes are consistent with the direction ● The rotor shaft are arranged in
of wind. a vertical position.
● Performance of turbine is dependent on factors ● Easier and cheaper to maintain
such as; number of blades, shape of blades, than horizontal units
turbine’s aerofoil section and attributes of
blades.

7
Components of a Wind Turbines
● Nacelle – This is the housing on top of the turbine, which protects the generator,
gearbox and other components.
● Foundation – A sturdy foundations is need to enable the turbine’s operability and
stability.
● Tower – A tower is required to allow the wind turbine to reach a required height,
most 2MW turbines are 250 feet tall.
● Blades – Most blades are 130 feet long, and are constructed from glass reinforced
plastic. The durability of the material is important because of weather conditions

Other Factors
A turbine generates electricity with wind speeds of 12-15mph. If speeds reach 40mph,
electricity will be generated but the risk of damage to the turbine also increases. Wind
turbines shut off to avoid damages at 50mph. It is thought that it is better to use steady wind
than gusts of powerful wind.

A wind-speed curve can be used to estimate energy production of turbines. The curve utilizes
different information such as;

● Wind turbine’s rotor area swept

● Number of blades
● Shape and aerofoil abilities of each blade
● Optimal blade tip speed
● Efficiency of gearbox
● Generators

8
Offshore Market for Wind Energy

Figure 3: APAC New investment in clean energy by sector [62]

From figure 3 above, it can be seen that over the last decade or so, wind and solar energy
have seen a steady increase in investment due to the ever-increasing demand for clean
energy.
High costs remain the biggest challenge for offshore wind development despite the fact that
electricity from onshore wind farms is already cheaper than conventional power in an
increasing number of markets. However, according to a study [Offshore wind in Europe by
Ernst and young] commissioned by EWEA in 2015, offshore wind cost could be reduced to
EUR 90/MWh (USD 94) by 2030. The report says that the sector will have nearly reduced
the marginal cost of energy to EUR100 per MWh by 2020, by which time cumulative
installed capacity in European waters is expected to have tripled to 23.5 GW. Therefore the
aims to reduce the costs could be; installing larger turbines to increase energy capture (a 9%
saving); encouraging greater competition (7%); commissioning new projects – keeping
volume up (7%) and tackling supply-chain challenges (3%)
[63].

9
3.1.5 Summary of Renewable Energy [12]

In terms of noise levels, Photovoltaic solar panels are quiet and visually discrete whereas a
wind farm is very noisy. Nevertheless, solar panels are very convenient to install, as they
can for example be setup on rooftops of existing buildings. All these renewable energy
methods use energy that is ever abundant. Biomass and wind energy have absolutely no
emissions whereas solar and Hydropower are designed to supply energy for much longer
durations.

Wind farms and Solar panels are very flexible in a sense that on a wind farm, the land
underneath the turbines can be used for agricultural purpose whereas solar panels come in
different sizes based on energy desires.

Photovoltaic solar panels consume toxic chemicals especially in the production phase and
so does Biomass production, which releases methane gas that contributes to global warming.
Both solar panels and Hydropower dams are extremely costly to setup and to make matters
worse, Hydropower dams have the longest payback time of all the other renewable energy
methods. Also to add to that, in case of a natural calamity such as an earthquake, the collapse
of a hydropower dam could pose great danger to aquatic life. Wind turbines as well as Solar
panels may not function steadily over time as a reduction in the speed of wind or darkness
hugely affects these two methods respectively.

10
3.2 Alternate Sources of Energy

3.2.1 Nuclear Energy [61]

Nuclear energy is a rare form of energy. It is the energy stored in the center of the nucleus
of an atom. After we bombard the nucleus into two parts, two different elements are formed
along with the emission of high energy. The process generally followed is called fission.
There is another reaction called fusion, which produces almost one tenth of the energy as
produced during fission. Fission is the chain reaction which needs uranium-235. The nuclear
energy is considered as the worthiest alternative source of energy after fossil fuels. However,
it comes along with a significant number of implications:

The main issue associated with the use of nuclear power is the radioactive waste. This
nuclear waste contains radioactive isotopes which have long half-lives therefore, they will
pollute the atmosphere. Additionally, leakages could be fatal for instance the Fukushima
incident. Generally a nuclear power plant imposes a great risk to people that work there as
well as the ecosystem (aquatic life).

Power reactors commonly known as breeders produce plutonium; a by-product of a chain

reaction that’s very harmful if exposed to nature. A nuclear power plant is a costly source of
energy and most of all its non-renewable due to its hazardous effects and limited supply.

11
3.3 Review

From the renewable energy sources discussed earlier, wind energy is believed to be the most
effective technique in producing sustainable energy for the following reasons:

● Wind energy does not require as much labour and time to produce energy as biomass.
● Wind energy has a higher energy production compared to solar power
● Wind energy does not destroy natural habitats like hydropower source

Wind energy has had a steady increase in investments over the last 10 years as discussed
earlier in the lit review and it’s expected to be the number one source of renewable energy
for the future.
Compared to non-renewable energy such as nuclear power (chapter 3.2.1), wind energy has
zero gas emissions, however, a typical turbine will produce 105 dB of noise, which is the
same level of noise as that produced by a lawn mower [16]. Turbines require space to operate
in, where land is expensive due to overpopulation and the increased demand for land.
Furthermore, turbines create shadows which cause visual burdens to some [17].

An alternative solution could be offshore turbines, as it avoids the issue of noise and light
pollutions. Also, the oceans cover 71% of the earth’s surface which is scarcely used
[18]. Although wind is stronger and steadier over water due to the absence of topographic
features that unsettle wind flow, the costs are still high due to difficulties associated with
installations, extra construction and other costs. Lastly, current fixed bottom placement
methods for offshore turbine is restricted by ocean depths. However, this can be resolved if
turbines are installed on a floating design [19].

Using this methodology siting is not an issue. In deeper waters, over 50m, there are fewer
guidelines to follow and there is plenty of areas to exploit. Similarly petroleum companies
use floating offshore platforms which are deployed in depths of 450-2500m [20], which offer
some practical ideas that can be taken into consideration. It is worth noting that turbines
rotor speeds increase over water due to fewer constraints.

Offshore wind energy appears as a feasible option to produce energy with this technology,
but need to be altered to survive the harsh conditions of open sea and oceans.

12
3.4 Floating Wind Turbines [21]

Floating wind turbines have existed since the 1970s, but only took off in the 1990s. In 2011,
Wind Float which was developed by Principle Power in partnership with EDP and Repsol,
was installed off the Portuguese coast, using 2 MW Vestas turbines. For more examples of
offshore turbines refer to Appendix 1.

Offshore wind farms use three types of deep sea foundations, see Figure 4, which have been
adapted from offshore oil platforms:

1. Tension Leg Platform: a buoyant structure is semi submerged. Tensioned mooring

lines are used to anchor and add buoyancy as well as stability.
2. Semi-submersible: A semi submerged structure is added to reach the necessary
stability. Wind-Float uses this technology.
3. Spar Buoy: A cylindrical buoy which stabilises the turbine using ballast. The centre
of gravity is lower in the water than the centre of buoyancy. Lower components are
heavy, while the upper parts are lighter, thus raising the centre of buoyancy.

1 2 3

Figure 4-Offshore Foundations [22]

13
3.5 Troll A Platform [23]

The “Troll A platform” is a magnificent creation located in the “Troll gas field” off the coast
of Norway. It stands at 472 meters, with submerged concrete construction at 369 meters, and
weighs about 683,600 tons. In 1996 the platform was towed to the North Sea, where it is
now operated by Statoil. The “Troll A platform” is the biggest object to be moved by man
across the Earth.

Figure 5-Troll A Platform [24]

The structure stands 303 meters underwater. The walls of the legs are made of steel
reinforced concrete that is 1 meter thick, which is moulded in one continuous pour. The four
legs are linked using a "Chord Shortener", where reinforced concrete box used to interlock
the legs and designed to dampen out destructive waves on the legs. One of the legs consists
of an elevator to allow for maintenance. Each leg has a compartment a third of the way from
the bottom of each leg, which performs as independent water-tight compartments. For the
structure to stay standing, six 40 meters tall vacuum-anchors are used to fix it to the sea
floor.

3.6 History of Floating Islands

The concept of floating islands is a relatively recent, only becoming more popular in the
mid-20th Century. The initial idea was developed by Edward Armstrong, who designed a
concept of a floating airport, called sea-drones [56]. From 1975, several concepts put forth,
some of which will be discussed. The non-existence of feasible designs, is due to high costs
involved. But due to environmental changes and global warming, these concepts have
become more relevant and vital.
14
3.6.1 Freedom Ship [57]

The Freedom Ship, is a design of a floating city. The designers pictured the city as being a
place to live, whilst offering a matchless lifestyle for the inhabitants. The design is a floating
barge with a 25 storey building mounted on top. The project would be 1400m in length, 230
m width and a height of 100 m. The projected cost would be $10 billion, and will be powered
by solar and wind energy, with space for 100,000 residents.

Figure 6-The Freedom Ship [57]

3.6.2 Conceptual Design of a Floating Island [58]

The proposed design of the floating island, accommodate 125,000 people. The island is
anchored to the seafloor. The floating city can be transported via tugboats and moving of the
floating island is safe as trimming/heeling are unlikely to happen as the metacentric height
is 1km. The island will be driven with renewable sources and is expected to be independent
in term of food, water and energy. The platform will be raised on a number of hollow vertical
tube pillars, similarly to the Troll A Platform.

Figure 7-Prof Carl Ross's Floating Island [58]

15
3.7 Siting [25]

Figure 8, shows the distribution of offshore wind farms around the UK. Turbines generate
up to 32GW, roughly a quarter of the UK's electricity needs.

Figure 8-Offshore UK wind Farm Zones [26]

Standards for site selection of offshore wind farms [27]

The state of wind for example its speed or density dictates the performance of the wind
turbines in a sense that at times when there is extreme weather conditions like this, it could
impose a significant impact on the capacity of power generated and on a worst case scenario,
cause some serious damage which would require repairs.

Secondly, the issue of natural hazards; i.e. if an underwater earthquake occurred, this would
obviously affect the height of the waves as well as the speed of the current for a certain
period of time.

When it comes to locating a site for a wind farm, it is important to set it up in an environment
that is not in a pathway for birds but at the same time the distance from the coast should be
considered i.e. not very close and not too far away either, a compromise distance should be
decided which would make it convenient enough for maintenance.

And last but not least, it should not be sited in a location where for example the military are
carrying out training, or where fishing might be taking place.

16
3.8 Lame’s Theory [28]

There are three main mechanical stresses that are applied to a cylindrical object:

● Hoop Stress ● Radial Stress ● Axial Stress

If the vessel has walls with a greater thickness than one-tenth of the diameter, then it can be
assumed to be a thick-walled vessel. The equations to calculate the stresses are:

Equation 1-Hoop Stress

Equation 2-Radial Stress

Thick-walled vessel boundary conditions are as follows:

at and at

Figure 9-Thick Cylinder [29]

Using the boundary conditions in Equations 1 and 2 above, the simultaneous equations
results in the following equations:

17
 Equation 3-Constant A with boundary conditions

Equation 4-Constant B with boundary conditions

Now substituting Equations 3 & 4, into Equations 1 & 2, this will give the Lames Equations
for both hoop and radial stress.

Equation 5-Lame's Equation for Hoop Stress

● = Hoop stress ● ri = internal radius

● Pi = internal pressure ● ro = external radius
● Po = external pressure ● r = radius at point of interest

Equation 6-Lame's Equation for Radial Stress

● = radial stress ● ri = internal radius

● Pi = internal pressure ● ro = external radius
● Po = external pressure ● r = radius at point of interest

Also the axial stress for a cylinder vessel, that is closed ended, can be calculated by the
equilibrium which is derived by;

Equation 7-Lame's Equation for Axial Stress

● = axial stress ● ro = external radius

● Pi = internal pressure
● ri = internal radius

18
3.9 Mooring Systems [30]

Mooring systems have been implemented into floating platform in order to stay immobile in
deep water. Mooring lines, anchors and connectors are the components that are used. The
mooring line link to the anchor which lay on the seabed. The lines are made up of different
materials; synthetic fibre rope, wire, chain or integrated. For more details about the different
configurations of lines refer to Appendix 2.

There are 3 types of anchor;

● Drag embedment anchor - The anchor is heaved along floor until it reaches the
required position, and uses the soil to hold the anchor in place.
● Suction piles are the predominant used for deep water projects. Tubular piles are put
in the seabed and sucks out the water from the top of the tubular, which pulls the pile
further in and holds the structure down.
● Vertical load - similar to drag anchors, but used in taut leg mooring systems, where
the mooring line is at an angle.

3.10 Wave-Wind Relations [31].

The highest winds and waves generally arise in the Southern Ocean. Whereas the lowest
winds speeds were mainly in the tropical oceans, which was also the case for wave height as
shown in Figure 10 below.

Figure 10-Global Trends in Wind Speed and Wave Height [32]

19
From figure 10 above, it can be seen that greater wind speeds are experienced in regions
around the North Pacific Ocean, then moderately speedy winds coming from the south
Atlantic and Indian Ocean respectively. For the case of wave heights, the Arctic Ocean and
perhaps some of the western regions of the Indian Ocean have significantly higher waves
compared to the rest of the other regions of the world.

Generally, there is a correlation between the wind speed and wave height as you travel across
the oceans.

3.11 Concrete [59]

Concrete is the most frequently used man-made material in the world, with nearly three tons
used annually for each person. Twice as much concrete is used, than any other building
material. No other available material can substitute concrete in terms of efficiency, price and
performance. The following are a few of concretes benefits;

 CO2 emissions from concrete are moderately minor compared to other building
materials, 80% of CO2 emissions are generated not by the production of the materials
used in construction, but in the electric practicalities of the building.

 Producing concrete uses less energy than producing other comparable building
materials, see Figure 11.

 Concrete, being inert, compact and non-porous, doesn’t mould or lose its mechanical
properties over time.

Figure 11-Energy of Production for Common Materials [59]

20
4. METHODOLOGY

4.1 Conceptual Design

The Figures shown below illustrate the design of the 112 MW Energy Farm. Which has been
designed as an alternative source of energy, for fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

Figure 12-112 MW Energy Farm Isometric View

Figure 13-112 MW Energy Farm View Below

21
 Figure 14-112 MW Energy Farm View Front

The 112 MW Energy Farm, uses wind turbines to convert the readily available wind flows
into beneficial energy. Some features such as vacuum chamber have been excluded, in order
to simplify the design, but will be mentioned later on in the report.

4.2 Design Overview

Table 2-Design Overview of Island

Power Rating 112 MW

Operational Depth Up to 150m

No of households Powered [55] 41,500

Estimate Cost of Project £22,474,301,439

Total Dry Land Area 0.6 Km2

Estimated Weight of Island 1,961,396,040 kg

No of Wind Turbines 14, Vesta V164-8.0MW

No of Housing Units 1

No of Generators 1

Construction Materials Fibre Reinforced Concrete

Payback Period 6 years

Estimated Lifespan 100 years (with repairs)

CO2 Emissions Saved 77 Tonnes of CO2 per hour

22
4.3 Materials Used for Construction

The legs are to be constructed of fibre reinforced concrete, which contains steel fibres, glass
fibres, synthetic fibres and natural fibres to provide different assets to the concrete. Concrete
has a low tensile strength and a low strain at fracture, whilst fibre reinforced concrete strain
fracture is larger due to fibres which strengthen the material.

The legs will have the mixture of M50 cement with 50% recycled concrete aggregate (RCA)
and 0.03% glass fibre which has been dried for 28 days. The physical characteristics are
shown below [33].
Table 3-Physical Properties of fibre reinforced concrete [32]

57.77
Compressive Strength (MPa)
Density (kg/m3) 2400
Tensile Strength (MPa)
1.50
Young’s Modulus (GPa) 40
Poisson’s Ratio
0.20

S-Glass fiber is a potential option for the material used for the platform. S-Glass has similar
mechanical properties to carbon fiber. Even though carbon fiber is stronger and more rigid,
it is much cheaper and significantly less brittle when used in composites. Some properties
are shown in Table 4. However due to the high cost of S-Glass, concrete will also be used to
construct the platform.

Table 4-Physical Properties of S Glass [34]

Compressive Strength (MPa) 4500

Density (kg/m3) 2460

Tensile Strength (MPa) 4750

Young’s Modulus (GPa) 89

Poisson’s Ratio 0.22

23
4.4 Structural Design

Table 5-Properties of base unit

Rectangular Platform

Dimensions 1000m*600m*1m

Material Fibre reinforced concrete

Volume (1) 0.6 km2

Weight A (2) 1,440,000,000 kg

Cylindrical Hollow Legs

Outer Diameter 11m

Height 150m

Wall Thickness 2m

Material Fibre reinforced concrete

Volume (3) 4712.39 m3

Weight B (2) 11,309,736 kg

Total Weight (With 15 Legs) 1,645,646,040 kg

1. Volume of rectangle = Length x Width x Height

2. Weight = Volume x Density (Pconcrete), Where Pconcrete = 2400 kg/m3
3. Volume of hollow cylinder = (𝜋𝑟 2 - 𝜋𝑟 2) x Height
4. Total Weight = A + B

24
The base unit of the island is a 1000m*600m*1m rectangular platform, with 15 hollow
cylindrical legs evenly distributed beneath it.

Figure 15-Base Unit of Island

Above sea level, the platform will be visible and the legs will be mostly submerged, similar
to an iceberg. The platform will be constructed out of a fibre reinforced concrete slab, the
platform will not be hollow.

Figure 16-Platform of Island

Figure 17, demonstrates the shape of the legs that will support the island. The legs are based
on the Troll A platform, although will be 150m, this length of pillar was chosen to allow the
city base to stand above the water. The pillars are hollow, with a wall thickness of 2m
calculated with Lames formula. The legs are designed to withstand a hydrostatic pressure of
15 MPa, as recommended by Prof. Dr. Carl T. F. Ross [48]. The legs will be placed directly
under each wind turbine and the housing unit to provide the best support. At the base of each
25
pillar are hollow compartments, these compartments attach the island to the seabed; by
producing a vacuum within the compartment, thus creating a suction force to the seafloor
anchoring the island. This system permits flexibility in the location of the island, by
removing the vacuum chamber and emptying some of the ballast. The city can be moved if
another location becomes more beneficial. Designs for the vacuum chambers are expected
to be developed by future projects.

Figure 17-Cylindrical legs of the Island

26
4.5 Nonlinear Buckling of a Leg under External Pressure (ANSYS)

ANSYS offers a large variety of applications and methods that are integrated into the
program. For the purpose of this study an Eigen Buckling simulation will be run on the legs
of the island. Before the actual simulation of the “Eigen Buckling” pressure, thus the
theoretical buckling pressure, could be started the following 10 steps had to be done for the
model.

1. Definition of the element type- The 8node Shell281 has been selected as the element
type, as well as picking “Structural”.

Figure 18-Definition of the element type for Eigen Buckling

2. Selection of the material model and properties e.g. the Poisson’s ratio and young’s
modulus.

Figure 19-Selection of material properties

27
3. Definition of the wall Thickness

Figure 20-Defining Wall Thickness

4. Creation of the model: setting the x y coordinates to 0 and defining the radius

Figure 21-Creation of the structure

5. Meshing of the model: The minimum length of the mesh is defined for the global set
and the meshing is applied on the entire cylindrical surface.

Figure 22-Meshing of Model

28
6. Definition of the boundary conditions: one edge is entirely fixed and the other is
simply supported.

Figure 23-Setting of Boundary Conditions

7. The structural displacement for on nodes on each side are boxed out (all the DOF’s
on that edges are set to zero) carefully without conflicting with the inside nodes. The
overall pressure to be applied on the entire cylinder is then applied.

Figure 24-Applying of Loads

29
8. The cylinder is now statically analysed with pre stress set on so as to work out the
stresses in the elements before they buckle since the geometrical stiffness matrix
depends on the initial stress.

Figure 25-Adjusting of settings on ANSYS

9. The analysis settings are changed to Eigen Buckling, set the solution to solve and
observe the results.

Figure 26-Simulation of test

30
 10. View the results

Figure 27-Viewing of Results

Figure 28-Graph Representing Critical Eigen Buckling Force

From the Figure above, the Critical Eigen Buckling force of the Legs are calculated as
6.75MPa.

31
4.6 Hydrostatic Stability of Platform [28]

The hydrostatic stability of the platform is maximised by the 15 legs beneath each wind
turbine on the platform. For a submerged body, the hydrostatic pressure will increases with
depth according to the following formula: as

Equation 8-Hydrostatic Pressure Equation

𝑝 = ℓ𝑔ℎ

Where,

 𝑝 = Hydrostatic Pressure
 ℓ = density of water
 𝑔 = gravitational pull
 ℎ = length of the submerged body

In this case, hydrostatic pressure acting on the platform can be calculated by the following;

𝑝 = 1024.5 [kg/m3] × 9.81 [m/s2] × 1 [m]

= 10.05 KPa

The density used above is an average of a range of densities, which are a few metres beneath
sea level, though this would increase with depth. However this can be generalised as the
density change is too significant, therefore can be taken as a fair assumption.

32
4.7 Wind Turbine

The wind Turbine that is being used is manufactured by Vestas, and the model is the V164-
8.0MW turbine. Table 6 shows some basic data for the model.

Table 6-Data of the V164-8.0MW Turbine [35]

Model V164-8.0MW
Rating 8MW
Cut in, Cut out speeds 4mps, 25mps
Rotor Diameter 164m
Blades 3 x 80m blades
Tower Height 133m [36]
Blade weight 35000kg
Tower Weight 700,000kg [36]
Nacelle Weight 390,000kg
Total Weight 1,125,000kg

As shown below, the wind turbines are to be positioned with 200m increments, which is a
rough estimate of the height of the turbines. This is for safety reasons, in case a wind turbine
falls in harsh weather conditions, it does not collide with the other turbines.

Figure 29-Wind turbine Spacing Increments

33
4.8 Weight of Island
Table 7-Weight of Project

Weight of Platform 1,440,000,000 kg

Weight of all Wind Turbines 15,750,000 kg

Weight of Housing unit and Others 300,000,000 kg

Weight of Legs 169,646,040 kg

Total Weight 1,925,396,040 kg

4.9 Construction of Island

1. The legs and platforms are to be manufactured separately. The moulds for the legs
are made using metal structures and then injecting the concrete to form the hollow
legs, which are then left to cure/dry.
2. The platform is made using a pre-cast concrete block into the desired rectangular
shape.
3. Once both the legs and platform are manufactured, the platform is to be linked to the
legs. The assembly is to be inspected thoroughly to check for any anomalies.
4. The turbine towers are attached to the platform onshore, but the blades will be
attached offshore to prevent air resistance when transporting the structure as this
could potentially cause damage to the structure in case of any collision with other
bodies.
5. The fencing and storage unit can be added to the design onshore.
6. Finally the island will be toed out to the site via tugboats, where it can be installed
and the blades for the turbines can be installed.

34
4.10 Location of Island

The island is able to operate at deep ocean depths exceeding 50m. By exploiting these areas
the wind turbines are able to operate at a higher energy production rate. Figure 19 shows a
nautical map of the proposed locations.

A
B

Figure 30-Potential Location of Island [37]

Table 8-Potential locations for Island

North Sea 150m

A
B West coast of 110m
Scotland
C
Celtic Sea 100m

35
4.11 Costs & Payback
Table 9-Estimated Costs of Project

Item Price Quantity Sub Total

Concrete (Legs) £75 / m3 [51] 70,685.85 m3 £5,301,438.75

Concrete £75 / m3 [51] 600,000 m3 £45,000,000

(Platform)
Wind Turbines £1,500,000 / MW 112 MW £168,000,000
[52]

Transmission £3,220,000 / km [53] 50 km £161,000,000

Cable
Total £379,301,438.75

Table 10-Estimated Payback Period of Project

Total Cost £379,301,438.75

No of households Powered [54] 41,500

Cost of each household £9140

Average Annual Energy Bill [55] £1533

Payback Period 6 years

4.12 Carbon Emissions

● Assuming the Energy Farm has a power rating of 112,000kWh.

● Assuming an emission factor of 6.89551 × 10-4 metric tonnes CO2 / kWh [50],
● In the region of 77 tonnes of CO2 will be saved for every hour, from the island via
conventional power generator methods.

36
4.13 Features of Design

 A housing unit is required to be built in the corner of the island. This will be used for
storage and should include such features as a workshop, sleeping area, as well as
eating and leisure areas.
 The docking area is next to the maintenance building to reduce the distance for the
team to move parts to the storage area.
 Staff are to use electric vehicles for transportation to support the zero emission target
of the island. The idea will be developed during the construction phase of the island.

4.14 Safety

There are two major hazards associated with offshore maintenance and these are; risks
involved during the construction and assembling of the island and operational/maintenance
risks i.e. regular transfers of boats or construction vessels.
Measures to the risks

● The island should have a maintenance and emergency team in case if any repairs
need to be made and these should be carried out under strict procedures.
● In an event of bad weather conditions, backup boats are required in the event of
severe conditions.
● Fencing needs to be installed around the island to prevent staff and assets falling off
the island in severe sea conditions.
● Sea navigations systems need to be notified of the location of the island to avoid
accidents.
● During wind turbine maintenance, the speed at which the blades are spinning might
affect the personnel on site carrying out specific turbine repairs. For example while
working inside the turbine nacelle, the blades should be spinning at the least 17 m/s.

37
4.15 The Final Conceptual Design

Figure 31-The Conceptual Design of the 112MW Island

38
5. DISCUSSION/RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Advantages/Disadvantages of Design

Advantages
The offshore energy farm can be used to power small islands so that they are energy
independent thus eliminating underwater cables or fossil fuels which would cause pollution
because the wind turbines themselves do not emit any pollution and therefore pose no threat
to the aquatic environment.
In terms of improving international relations and interdependency, third world countries that
may be struggling to produce sufficient energy could benefit from this type of renewable
energy that can be traded across and in turn this can help to reduce CO2 emissions as well as
create an additional source of income for the manufacturer of the island.
Geographically, energy offshore allows for the exploitation of the higher wind speeds which
blow 40% more often than onshore [38]. On top that, the island itself being isolated helps to
avoid the issue of noise pollution as well as any other form of visual problems that would
normally affect the people around.
Offshore design could help to resolve issues such as overpopulation if the same concept can
be adapted to the construction of offshore cities. This can only be put into practice if
investors are convinced about the performance of the existing floating energy islands.
Economically, the manufacturing and installation of the farm could benefit the local
community by offering job opportunities which would in turn help decrease unemployment.
And last but not least, it has been shown that energy farms provide shelter for marine life
and create artificial habitats, therefore, this could help to expand the ecosystem [39].

Disadvantages
As the legs are made of concrete, the material will corrode over time. However this issue
can be resolved by a scheduled maintenance.
On the other hand, more research is still needed on deep sea technology to gather sufficient
comparative data such that investors can be convinced on the performance of this renewable
energy project.
And last but not least the initial cost of setting up the project is very high let alone the repairs
that have to be undertaken since some of the equipment involved on the farm may not endure
the environment for extended periods of time.

39
5.2 Recommended Improvements

Due to time constraints, some features have not been included into the conceptual design.
The following recommendations can be analysed and implemented into future designs.

3D Printing [40]

The manufacture of the floating island is a very lengthy process. However, 3D printing can
speed up the process. Chinese engineers have developed a 150m tall printer to make houses
which cost as little as £100,000, as shown in Figure 32. The ink is sprayed on layer by layer
till a wall is formed, the ink consists of a mixture of recycled construction waste, glass, steel
and cement. By using 3D printing waste materials are recycled and increases the safety factor
for workers. The new technology has led to a new construction method which is efficient
and sustainable. This type of technology can also be even further modified to make some of
the constituents of the island such as 3D printing the legs of the island as this could help to
save time in manufacturing.

Figure 32-A 3D printed house in China [41]

Sandwich Composites [42]

The idea of sandwich construction has become more popular due to the development of man-
made cellular materials as core materials. A Sandwich structure is shown in Figure 33. The
separation of the skins by the core increases the moment of inertia of the panel with little
increase of mass, whilst producing an efficient structure, which has a higher resistance to
40
bending and buckling. The rectangular platform can utilise this geometrical arrangement, to
help improve the structural properties.

Figure 33-Sandwich Composite [43]

Solar-Wind Turbines [44]

Another recommendation for the island, is the use of solar-wind turbines. Scientists, at the
University of Liverpool have been researching into wind turbine blades with solar panels
built onto them, as shown in Figure 34. By utilising both wind and solar energy, it enables
more power to be generated particularly when solar energy is not possible overnight.
However, further research needs to be carried out before this can be regarded as a viable
option. But nevertheless, the idea itself should not be overlooked and in fact, it should be
considered for the energy farm as it would help to save space on the island.

Figure 34-Solar-Wind Turbines [45]

Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC

41 18- Solar-Wind Turbines [45]
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) [46]
OTEC is the process where electricity is generated by using the temperature difference in
the ocean. Hawaii has just recently adopted this, as shown in figure 35. This technology is
not as risky and it is extremely stable. An OTEC plant can always produce energy regardless
of whether it is day or night or if wind is blowing. This can be added to the energy farm to
act as a base load of energy.

Figure 35-Ocean Thermal Conversion Plant [47]

Flying Wind Turbines [60]

Kite-like airborne turbines spinning at high altitudes sending power down via nano-tube
cable tethers to generate power. At higher altitudes, wind has more velocity and is more
predictable. It is estimated 8 – 27 times more power can be generated compared to ground
level. The tethers can haul in the kites/balloons housing the turbines during storms or for
general maintenance work. Less pollution is an advantage, as well as the fact that it will not
take up much precious ground space for installation. This concept in the future can be added
to the island to help generate more clean energy.

Figure 36-Airborne Wind Turbines [60]

42
6. CONCLUSION

The aim and objectives of the project have been achieved – the proposed design solution
utilizes renewable energy to act as an alternative to nuclear energy.

The Offshore Energy Farm has a power rating of 112 MW and has the potential to reduce
CO2 emissions by 77 tonnes, every hour of operation. The farm has a huge start-up cost, but
nevertheless, the payback period is expected to be 6 years, based on the UK current
electricity rate [56].

The Offshore Energy Farm is able to access depths of up to 150m, allowing the exploitation
of wind speeds in such areas. With further research and development (R&D), the Offshore
Energy farm will be able to achieve the ethos of zero emissions and sustainability that it
carries. This technology, with the right R&D, can be used in future to produce offshore
homes. This is expected to solve problems such as overpopulation and issues surrounding
the usage of fossil fuels.

The acronym; NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) is a local opposition commonly used against
the setup of wind farms in specific locations due to the effects that wind farms impose on
the local community such as noise pollution from the movement of wind turbines. However,
to researchers this should be an issue that needs to be addressed from both the local and
national point of view. But generally, it remains an issue to be addressed and a further more
opinion surveys need to be undertaken until an agreed conclusion is met.

43
6.1 Project Evaluation

There were several of positive points accomplished during this assignment. Firstly, the
project demonstrated a theoretical solution to providing a sustainable energy source, which
will resolve the issue of lack of energy and climate change. The design illustrated that the
Island could provide the energy to 41,500 homes within a 6 year payback period.
Furthermore, this concept can act as a milestone for other projects to inhabit the ocean on a
large scale.

The main issues of the report are the fact that it is a conceptual design. However, due to time
constraints, in future developments of the projects, there are a number of areas of the project
that could be investigated in order to produce a more robust design. Some of the
recommendations mentioned earlier including the use of layer composite design and 3D
printing could be included. There could also be a number of renewable energy sources that
could also be assessed for their viability, such as biomass and solar power.

44
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8. APPENDICES
Appendix 1
Table 11-An overview of current floating wind turbine technologies [21]

Design Name Hywind WindFloat Blue H TLP Floating Haliade 150 PelaStar
Water Depth 200m >40m >50m Tension Leg Buoy (for 50m - 200m
water
depths between 50m-80m)
Tension Leg Platform (for
water depths between
80m-300m)
Turbine 3-7 MW 5-7 MW 5-7 MW 6 MW 2.5 MW
Time Period 2015-2016 2017 2016 2015-2017

Origin Norway Portugal Netherlands United States

Foundation Spar-type semi-submersible semi- Tension Leg Buoy/Tension Tension-leg turbine

floater Floater submersible Leg Platform platform
Floater

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Appendix 2
Table 12-Configuration of Mooring Lines [29]

Materials Configurations Length of Lines

Chain <100m
Steel wire >300m
Chain and wire <2000m
Chain and synthetic fibre rope >2000m
Chain, synthetic fibre rope and wire >2000m

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9. ADDENDUM

The stated documents will be arranged behind in accordance to the stated order
● Project Proposal Form
● Interim Report
● Project Monitoring Form
● Ethics Clearance Certificate
● Turnitin Report
● List of Achievement

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List of Achievements
Project Achievements
1. A nonlinear buckling simulation of the legs was performed and was successful.
2. A hydrostatic Stability Test was done on the artefact and was viable

Learning Achievements
1. I further advanced my skills on Creo Parametric 2.0, to design the Island.
2. I learnt how to use ANSYS, in order to simulate the stresses on the legs.
3. Learnt how to use various photo editing programs include NUKE and Maya.
4. I learnt how to use the APA Harvard Referencing system.
5. I learnt how to structure a formal report, following strict guidelines.
6. I learnt how to use various sources information to gather all the research, such as
books and journals.
7. Improved my professional skills and soft skills, whilst working with Prof Carl Ross
throughout the project

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