The PivotBuoy Project, developed by X1 Wind, finalized its offshore demonstration with companions reporting glorious outcomes.
The PivotBuoy Consortium companions are X1 Wind, ESM, WavEC, PLOCAN, INTECSEA, EDP, DTU, DNV GL, and DEGIMA. The challenge aimed to reveal the PivotBuoy mooring system configuration which mixes some great benefits of a single level mooring with a small tension-leg platform (TLP) mooring system, permitting the platform to succeed in deeper waters and minimizing the footprint and affect on the seabed.
The Spanish agency’s X30 platform was examined in full operational situations on the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) from October 2022 to May 2023. During the seven-month demonstration, the machine turned the world’s first absolutely practical floating wind TLP. The unit fed its electrical energy to PLOCAN’s Platform through a 1.4-kilometer 20kV subsea cable.
The information gathered signifies that the platform confirmed superb alignment with the wind utilizing its passive orientation system. The platform confirmed higher alignment than publicly out there information for conventional energetic yaw programs for sturdy winds (over 7.5m/s) and related alignment for decrease wind speeds (below 7.5m/s).
In phrases of energy manufacturing, power generated by the modified Vestas V29 – which operates in a downwind configuration – was effectively aligned with theoretical fashions, with no signal of energy loss or elevated 3P vibration because of the tripod shadow. The outcomes verify that X1 Wind’s streamlined tripod association eliminates the identified drawbacks usually related to downwind operation.
In addition, the platform overcame a number of harsh storms, with most wave heights reaching 6.7 meters, equal to greater than 20 meters in full-scale. During these excessive occasions, the unit behaved effectively with motions and accelerations matching the predictions in simulation fashions.
X1 Wind CEO Alex Raventos stated that the just lately revealed outcomes illustrate glorious efficiency throughout a broad vary of parameters together with platform stability, passive alignment, structural conduct and energy manufacturing: “The PivotBuoy Project marked an important phase in the development of our innovative technology,” he stated. “It allowed us to retrieve large amounts of data for a sustained period of time in full operational conditions. This data was collected from multiple sensors installed across the platform through a dedicated and proprietary SCADA called Floating Management System. These findings have provided crucial insights which are now being incorporated into X1 Wind’s ongoing commercial-scale projects, including the NextFloat Project.”
Raventos added that the decommissioning course of, which was a requirement after the top of the EU funded challenge in March 2023, additionally proved the benefit of disconnection of its revolutionary single level mooring system, efficiently finishing the disconnection, unhook and towing in lower than one working day.
“This is another milestone for the industry, especially taking into account that we use a TLP mooring (which provides many advantages but historically was very difficult to hook and un-hook). By proving that our PivotBuoy mooring system can be easily hooked and unhooked we’ve shown that TLPs can easily be installed, decommissioned or maintained at port in case a tow-to-port maintenance operation is needed. The X30 platform was towed to Araniaga Port for its full decommissioning, removing the key elements for further analysis and offering some parts to the Instituto Técnológico de Canarias (ITC) for educational purposes at its facilities in Pozo Izquierdo. All this learning is key in the development of the commercial scale units.”
