Failure Analysis of a Suspended Inter-Array Power Cable between Two Spar-Type Floating Wind Turbines: Evaluating the Influence of Buoy Element Failure on the Cable

Abstract

The suspended configuration of inter-array power cables between floating offshore wind turbines necessitates using various ancillary equipment, such as buoy elements and bend stiffeners, to maintain the desired cable geometry. The failure analysis is an important step in the design of an inter-array dynamic power cable layout. This study investigates the impact of buoy element failures on the structural integrity and fatigue life of inter-array power cable configurations in offshore environments, focusing on four environmental conditions representative of the North Sea. Utilizing numerical simulations and fatigue analysis in OrcaFlex, static and dynamic analyses are conducted to assess maximum tension, minimum bend radius (MBR), and fatigue life under single and two failure scenarios of buoy elements. The results indicate that single buoy failures significantly increase maximum tension at hang-off points. At the same time, MBR is found to be the smallest at the failure position, aiding in failure point identification. In addition, for the two buoy element failure scenarios, the maximum tension increase poses risks to structural integrity, while MBR and fatigue life have high sensitivity to the applied environmental conditions.