Abstract
This paper concerns the numerical modelling validation for an array of floating oscillating-water-column wave energy converters with shared mooring connections. Such a mooring solution has been suggested in the past as more economically viable when compared to more conventional configurations, owing to the reduced number of anchors. After a brief description of the experimental data and experimental set-up as performed in a previous paper by Correia da Fonseca et al., the frequency-domain numerical model for the array of floating oscillating-watercolumn devices is described. We consider linear hydrodynamic and hydrostatic forces and we account for real fluid viscous effects in the equation of motion. This is done by transferring the Morison equation in the frequency-domain with the aid of equivalent linearisation method. Since in the original experimental work, an orifice plate was installed on each buoy to simulate the effect of the power take-off system (impulse turbine), a linearised formulation is applied to account for the orifice plate damping effect. The forces of the mooring connections are included in the equation of motion in their linearised form, using perturbation theory. Finally, preliminary numerical model results are compared against available experimental data, and the accuracy of the numerical model is discussed.