Hydrodynamic response and tendon mechanics of tension-leg platform floating offshore wind turbines: A critical review and future perspectives

As offshore wind energy expands into deeper waters, reliable floating support structures are required for large-scale deployment. Among the available concepts, tension-leg platforms (TLPs) are particularly attractive for floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) due to their high vertical stiffness and effective suppression of heave and pitch motions, which enhance aerodynamic stability. This review focuses on the hydrodynamic response, tendon mechanics, and coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic behavior of TLP-type floating offshore wind turbines, with particular emphasis on wave-induced loading, nonlinear hydrodynamic effects, and tendon reliability. Nonlinear hydrodynamic effects, second-order wave loads, tendon pretension design, slack-snap phenomena, vortex-induced vibrations, and fatigue reliability are all discussed in detail. Experimental investigations, numerical modeling approaches, and validation studies are synthesized to highlight recent advances in understanding the dynamic behavior of TLP-based floating wind systems. The synthesis of previous research identifies major knowledge gaps in nonlinear hydrodynamics, tendon fatigue reliability, and coupled dynamic responses for large-capacity turbines. Future research directions are proposed to support the reliable design and large-scale deployment of next-generation TLP-type FOWTs.