Abstract
This study aims to investigate a wave energy converter that utilizes heave motion as the primary driver for energy harvesting. The main objective is to examine the effect of applying a new form of hybrid Backward Bent Duct Buoy (BBDB) with Point Absorber (PA) at various wave conditions. The effects of single BBDB, PA, and a new hybrid form of BBDB-PA on heave Response Amplitude Operator (RAO) and power absorption were examined within various ranges of wave periods under regular wave conditions using ANSYS-AQWA. The results reveal that the characteristics of excitation force, radiation damping coefficient, and added mass of the BBDB and PA are significantly influenced by the new hybrid form. This observation is due to the advantage of the hybrid form that would have more contact with the wet surface area. Moreover, the hybrid BBDB-PA yields higher heave RAO and power absorption compared to the non-hybrid counterpart. The results offer recommendations for optimizing the design of hybrid WECs and imply the possibility of synergy between BBDB and PA to fully utilize ocean space for energy.