An Innovative Floating System with a Savonius Rotor as a Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine

In this project, an innovative wind turbine was designed for a floating plant. A large Savonius rotor was replaced with a double-rotor wind turbine implemented as a horizontal-axis turbine. This double rotor was positioned on the tip of a thrust plate and fixed to the deck of a catamaran. Simple 2D numerical simulations were performed to confirm the effectiveness of the concept. An analysis of the floating system configuration was carried out, and the loads and stresses on the system components were verified. Next, floating supports with appropriate sizes were selected to counteract the forces on the wind turbine system. Finally, an anchoring system with full rotational freedom was selected for the floating platform. The present work was conducted as part of a Master’s thesis.