Abstract
Offshore aquaculture faces a critical challenge in securing a sustainable and reliable power supply due to its increasing energy demands. Ensuring both structural compatibility and efficient energy generation remains a significant barrier. The rigid geometry of floating aquaculture cage structure permits the installation of multiple Oscillating Water Column Wave Energy Converters (OWC–WECs) along their perimeter, thereby enhancing energy capture through array configurations. This study presents a numerical investigation of OWC–WEC arrays integrated with a floating aquaculture cage. A three-dimensional RANS–VOF framework, incorporating an advanced forcing-zone method and finite-volume discretization, was developed to evaluate the hydrodynamic performance of the hybrid system under regular and irregular waves. Convergence analyses were carried out, and the numerical model was validated against available experimental data, demonstrating good agreement. Using this validated framework, a systematic evaluation of different array layouts was performed to examine the influence of device quantity and spatial arrangement on system performance. Both single- and dual-chamber configurations, positioned adjacent to the aquaculture cage, were simulated to assess pneumatic power output and platform motion response. The influence of mooring pretension was also investigated, highlighting its combined effect with array configuration on optimizing energy performance. Overall, the findings establish a structured methodology for assessing and optimizing hybrid marine systems that integrate sustainable aquaculture with wave energy harvesting.