Floating and Green Energy Consulting, LLC

selected GREEN ENERGY projects Dr. Zou had worked on:

Production Projects

 

Floating Offshore Wind Turbine (FOWT)

  • DOE AFLOWIR (DOE Mayflower Atlantic FOWT)
  • UMaine NYSERDA NOWRDC Synthetic Mooring
  • DOE ATLANTIS Scale Model Experiments for Co-Designed FOWTs Supporting a High Capacity (15-MW) Turbine
  • Generation 2 Multi-turbine Semi-submersible Platform (Hexicon)
  • Kincardine Project with Semi-Spar Platform, FEED and Detail Engineering (Terminated)
  • Hexicon Dounrey Twin-turbine Semi-submersible Platform (Generation 1; Terminated)
  • Floating Wind Concepts (Spar-type, Semi-submersible Platform-type, and TLP-type) for Offshore Korean
  • Windfloat demonstration project for offshore Portugal

 

Ocean Stream Generator (OSG)

  • Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC) developed the concept.
  • Participated in 2009 and supported APC to complete ¼ scale model testing in 2017.

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)

  • Lockheed Martin started the OTEC project in 2009.
  • Involved and supported LMT to wrap up the project in 2019

R&D Projects

FOWT Substructure Concepts for High-Capacity WTGs (Semi-Type & TLP-Type)

 

——Ultimate Goals: Low CAPEX, Low OPEX and Low Risk——–

Development Philosophies:

  • Quayside integration capable (RNA/tower/hull installed at yard as an integrated platform)
  • Vertically towing capable to the installation site & to a yard for major repairs if needed
  • Efficient structure connection between tower base & hull structural arrangement
  • Light hull steel weight
  • Operability: low motion hub for WTG, moorings & power cable(s)
  • Scalability: suitable for WTG from 5MW to 20MW or higher
  • Adaptability: suitable for worldwide metocean criteria and water depth: ≥ 50m
  • Industrialization: good constructability, transportability & installability

Hull Forms:

  • Three Paired-Column Hull with three horizontal beams connecting inner columns and tower base equipped three mooring lines for Semi-Submersible option
  • Three-Column Hull with Six Extended Base Structures installed 6 vertical moorings on the six said structure members for TLP option

Serial Developments of FOWTs for 5MW, 10MW and 20MW (Semi-Type)

 

Systematically investigating effects of:

  • Various WTGs, Towers and Hub heights corresponding to 5MW, 10MW and 20MW
  • Hull sizing (Semi-type) including stability with serial specified WTGs
  • Mooring systems for seakeeping
  • Potential benefits gained in term of reducing LCOE by adopting higher capacity WTG
  • Challenges faced by implementing higher capacity WTG

Floating Substation Concepts for Small, Medium & Large Topsides Payloads (Semi-Type & TLP-Type)

Development Philosophies: focusing on entire life cycle values

  • Quayside integration capable (minimizing offshore operations)
  • Vertically towing capable to the installation site (avoiding horizontally towing and upending)
  • Efficient connection between deck and hull
  • Sufficient hull pontoon space for hosting import/export cables
  • Light hull/deck steel weight
  • Operability: motion and acceleration friendly for HVDC or HVAC
  • Scalability: suitable for topsides payloads from 500 mt to 20,000 mt and import/export cables from 8 to 50.
  • Adaptability: suitable for worldwide metocean criteria and water depth: ≥ 50m
  • Industrialization: good constructability, transportability & installability

Hull Forms:

  • Semi-Type: Three Paired-Column Hull and Four Paired-Column Hull
  • TLP-Type: Three-Column Hull with Six Extended Base Structure Members

Critical Inputs:

  • Topsides payloads
  • Required deck area
  • Import and export cables (counts, properties and layout)
  • Constrains of motions and accelerations due to HVDC or HVAC

Categories of Topsides Payloads:

  • Small topsides payloads: 500 mt to 1,500 mt
  • Medium topsides payloads: 1,501 mt to 6,000 mt
  • Large topsides payloads: 6,001 mt to 20,000 mt

Selection of Hull Forms:

  • Small topsides payloads and few import/export cables: TLP-type or Semi-type (Three Paired-Column Hull)
  • Medium topsides payloads and medium numbers of import/export cables: Semi-type (Three Paired-Column Hull or Four Paired-Column Hull)
  • Large topsides payloads and large numbers of import/export cables: Semi-type (Four Paired-Column Hull)