This paper introduces a novel grouped anchoring concept for floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs), aimed at enhancing the efficiency and robustness of mooring systems.The proposed system, termed the caisson-embedded-plate-anchor system (CEPAS), consists of a suction caisson connected to one or more embedded plate anchors via intermediate chains.The concept builds on the hypothesis that a configuration of interconnected, smaller anchoring elements can outperform a single large anchor of equivalent material volume by mobilising soil resistance more effectively.To investigate this, finite element analyses are conducted to study the load-displacement behaviour and ultimate capacity of various CEPAS configurations.The results reveal that the system's performance depends strongly on the relative geometry and, thus, the geotechnical interaction between its components, with certain configurations exhibiting increased stiffness and load capacity.Comparative analyses with single caissons suggest that the CEPAS is a promising offshore anchoring solution, with mechanical and adaptability advantages over conventional single-element designs.
Fogh et al. (Thu,) studied this question.