Abstract
A mathematical model has been formulated to evaluate the dynamic performance of floating buoy (FB) and full-submerged (CETO) wave energy converters (WZXECs) array. In the process, the boundary value problem is solved by applying the matching-method of eigenfunctions and multi-body Graf’s addition to solve the velocity potential that can be decomposed into radiation and diffraction problems. To evaluate the motion and wave energy capture response of WECs, coupled equations of motion are considered, including the PTO damping system, stiffness system, and mooring lines. After running the convergence analysis and model validation, the present model is employed to perform a multimode impact analysis of FB and CETO systems. Case studies clearly reveal the effects of PTO damping, stiffness, geometric dimensions, and submergence depth on the wave energy capture efficiency, bandwidth, and peak frequency in the CETO system. More importantly, comparative analysis of array-based floating and submerged WECs reveals significant performance disparities relative to standalone configurations. Specifically, the standalone FB system demonstrates superior wave energy capture compared to the CETO system, whereas the performance of array-based systems remains inconsistent. This divergence in CETO array performance stems from attenuated shadow effect, balanced energy distribution across array subunits, superior motion stability, and moderated wave elevations, alongside optimized hydrodynamic interactions between units. Consequently, this study constitutes a pioneering demonstration that future CETO system investigations should focus on array-based configurations, which attain wave energy harvesting efficiencies commensurate with FB systems while exhibiting superior motion stability, thereby offering promising prospects for the development of the CETO system.