Numerical Study on the Dynamic Response of Mooring Systems for an Offshore Floating Photovoltaic Platform

Abstract Offshore floating photovoltaic (OFPV) platforms have emerged as a new development trend. However, conventional floating photovoltaic platforms designed for inland water areas are not suitable for use directly in ocean environments. Hence, an OFPV platform incorporating three types of mooring systems is proposed. These mooring systems employ various combinations of mooring lines, including all chains, chain-polyester ropes-chain, and chain-nylon ropes-chain, respectively. Dynamic response analysis of the three mooring systems for the offshore floating photovoltaic platform is conducted. The results indicate that the mooring system with nylon ropes shows the lowest tension and the largest displacements of the OFPV platform. However, the mooring systems with all chains show the largest tension under the same environmental load. In addition, the dynamic response of mooring systems with one-line failure is investigated. Results show that the floating platform undergoes significant displacement motion once a mooring line fails. Furthermore, the tension distribution of the remaining mooring lines becomes uneven, potentially leading to overall mooring system failure. This numerical study provides valuable insights into the design of mooring systems incorporating fiber ropes for OFPV platforms.