Dynamic Analysis of an Offshore Wind Turbine Drivetrain on a Floating Support

This paper presents a multi-body model for the study of the non stationary dynamic behaviour of an off-shore wind turbine power train. The problem studied is an off-shore implementation with seafloor depths around a thousand metres, making it necessary to use a floating platform. Special attention is paid to combining the characteristics of the buoy’s off-shore support with a detailed model of the power train in order to assess the consequences of buoy movement in the forces that appear in gears and bearings. A multi-body analysis code was used to develop the model and a conventional wind turbine set up was implemented as an example. Gearbox dynamic behaviour is simulated for common manoeuvres of start-up and emergency stop and the results obtained are presented.