Floating offshore wind platform (FOWP) has become the economically favored option for supporting wind turbines in deep waters. It is urgent to propose new concept designs for FOWPs that can be effectively deployed. Additionally, the extensive use of steel in such platforms significantly escalates costs, necessitating the optimization of steel utilization. Motivated by these challenges, a V-shaped floating semi-submersible platform equipped with NREL 5 MW wind turbine is designed and analyzed based on the potential flow theory and the blade element momentum theory. Fully coupled time-domain simulations are conducted using the F2A program, which couples NREL FAST and ANSYS AQWA via a Dynamic Link Library (DLL), to compare the hydrodynamic performance and stability of the V-shaped floating platform with the original triangle-shaped model of “Fuyao”. Various sea conditions have been considered, including combined wind-wave action and wind-wave-current action at different incidence angles. The results show that the V-shaped floating platform has better economic and hydrodynamic performance (e.g., a reduction of 40.4% and 12.9%, respectively, in pitch and yaw motions, and a 17.4% reduction in maximum mooring tension), but lower stability than its triangle-shaped counterpart.

New conceptual designs for floating offshore wind platforms (FOWPs) are crucial for deep-sea wind power generation, increasing power output, lowering construction costs, and minimizing the risk of damage. While there have been various conceptual designs, tailored solutions for the South China Sea are limited due to the relatively harsh environment. This study proposes a novel 10 MW FOWP—“SparFloat”, which combines the advantages of a semi-submersible platform and Spar platform to cater for the sea conditions of the South China Sea. By systematically adjusting the distance between columns and the diameters of the side column and heave plate, the impact of geometrical changes in the platform on its dynamic response is investigated for the purpose of design optimization. The results highlight that roll/pitch natural periods are predominantly governed by restoring stiffness, whereas heave motion exhibits a higher sensitivity to added mass and radiation damping. Increasing the inter-column distance and side column diameter enhances stability and reduces roll/pitch natural periods, while enlarging the heave plate diameter extends the heave natural period. Time-domain simulations using a coupled FAST-AQWA framework confirm that the optimized design meets rule requirements, verifying the robustness and suitability of the SparFloat concept for the challenging environment of the South China Sea.