Multi-use platform designs have been focused on in recent years with the evolution of offshore platforms. Based on the classic tension leg platforms (TLP), a multiple production offshore platform was designed by combining the TLP body with an embedded oscillating water column energy converters (EOWC). The contributions of the work include the development of a novel concept of the TLP-EOWC, a preliminary design scheme for the TLP-EOWC, implementation of a multifold nonlinear time-domain analytical model, real-valued simulation for the TLP-EOWC, and a sensitivity analysis of the design parameters. Sensitivity analysis was completed for different orifice ratios and wave heading angles in seven sea states from the LIUHUA site monitoring data. Results show that the system gains low electricity productivity in calm sea conditions and provides considerable power output in rough seas. As per this research, the offshore platform would act as a power-producing wave energy farm and contribute to the energy mix and even help achieve power self-sufficiency
As the world's energy needs continue increasing and onshore resources are reaching their limit, the seas and oceans gain extensive attention since they potentially provide an opportunity for economic growth and resource use. The European Commission indicated ocean resources, including ocean energy, aquaculture, biotechnology, deep-sea mining, and coastal tourism, also called Blue Growth sectors, as high potential components. The evolution of offshore platforms has made it possible to think of other opportunities parallel to the traditional sole function. As a pioneer, the European Union (EU) launched "The Ocean of Tomorrow" (Chandrasekaran, 2015; Koundouri, 2017), a call for proposals for multiuse offshore platforms in 2011. In this call, three projects were selected – H2OCEAN, MERMAID, and TROPOS. In 2014, Maribe developed the H2020 project to determine if there is a future for investment in combining Blue Growth sectors. Two new EU projects, Space@Sea and Blue Growth Farm, began in 2018. As a result of these projects, new concepts for the next generation of offshore platforms were proposed and examined. They included offshore wind (floating or fixed) sharing with aquaculture and shellfish farms, offshore wind sharing with wave energy, wave energy sharing with aquaculture, fixed and floating wind sharing with oil and gas, and desalination combined with other Blue Growth sectors. More related details can be found in the reference (Dalton, Bardócz, Blanch, Campbell, Johnson and Lawrence, 2019).
