Real-time hybrid model testing of floating wind turbines: sensitivity to limited actuation

Real-time hybrid model testing (ReaTHM) is a new approach for conducting small-scale experimental campaign [1], [2] and [3]. In the case of a floating wind turbine in a wave basin, the aerodynamic loads on the wind turbine may be applied based on simultaneous simulations (coupled to the experiments), while the wave loads and floater response are physically tested. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the effects of actuation limitation on the ReaTHM testing setup for a particular platform: numerical simulations are employed to examine the effects of not including some components of the aerodynamic loads (or of inducing error, for example in the direction of the force actuation).