In this article, you will find a step by step guide on how to build a floating wind case.

Please follow the below step by step guide. Prior to starting your modelling, you need to make sure a few things are set up: 

  • Input Library - make sure you have a wind turbine, a base, a Towing vessel, a Crane, and a weather file added in the Input Library. For more information on how to do this please see the article on Input Library.
  • Set up a project and a case - once you have all the information stored in your Input Library you can set up a project and cases. See more here on how this works

Once this is set, you can follow the below steps, or click on the header to go directly to the step:

Bases

1. Click on +Add and select the port you will use from your input library

2. Fill in all input data required for the port 

Click on the port and complete the necessary fields, below is a list of what you can do: 

  • Location - the location of the port is defined by latitude and longitude
  • Number of repair slots - This is mandatory and will define the capacity of the port to handle/receive floating wind turbines for repair
  • Cost
  • Weather - It is important to add the weather file you will use

PLEASE NOTE: The towing vessel will tow the wind turbines from the wind farm to the port for repair or replacement of a component. In case there is more than one repair slot, the crane will assist the floating turbines one at a time as they come to do the full repair or replacement.

Wind Farm

1. Go to Build - Assets

Click on +Add and select the turbine you will use from your input library. 

Step 2: Define the number of wind turbines and location 

3. Click  Next and add the necessary details to the wind turbines. 

  • Parameters
  • Weather criteria 
  • Power curve 
  • Scheduled Maintenance
  • Corrective Maintenance
  • Weather

Create a group of turbines with Replacement and Repair Maintenance tasks in the Corrective Maintenance tab (link of how to at the beginning of this article), fill description/title, and information about the failure. Then select towing vessel for this maintenance task and fill Repair time and Lead time  - all other activities with the towing vessel is found on the towing vessel itself (see this article). Save it afterwards.

If you want to read more about each input and what they mean, please see this article: Wind turbines input data.

The weather criteria tab is a restriction for the wind turbine operation. The wave height will limit the operational criteria of the turbine by shutting it off when exceeding the limit. For towing vessel, hook up and disconnect time are considered when towing the turbine towards and from the port. Once at the port, the crane will start the repair or replacement specified in the repair time input where the minimal working length sets up a continuous working period.

Logistics

In this section, you will need to add a towing Vessel and Crane 

PLEASE NOTE:  In the case of several bases, Tug and Crane must have the same Port. The tug vessel will tow the turbines to port when the failure occurs, the crane will fix the failure at the port, and the tug vessel will place them back in the wind farm.

Adding Towing Vessel 

Add a towing vessel (Adding and editing a Towing Vessel (Tug), and fill in the input data. In the Processes tab, you can, in a flexible way, design the towing process with specific weather criteria on the different steps - you can even set up weather criteria for specific corrective maintenance tasks; please see more information about the Towing processes in this article. 

Adding Crane

Add a crane that will be placed onshore in the port selected, and fill in the input data.

Personnel

No personnel specifications are needed due to the assumption used by the engine about Subcontractors utilisation for the towing vessel (no need for the creation of roles in the Wind Farm Corrective Maintenance tab in Assets when a towing vessel is assigned).

Strategy

Finally, the picture below shows the input data that needs to be added. In the general section, Emergency response limit and Minimum working length are mandatory, and the prioritisation of work orders. See more about the strategy tab in this article.

If you desire to use the same weather file for the whole case, it can be done easily by going to the Port settings or Wind Farm settings and then click  Apply everywhere in the Weather tab. 

Last step: Simulate the case.