Abstract
A study on the hydrodynamic characteristics of buoys in a floating three-body WEC (wave energy converter) has been conducted in this paper using STAR-CCM+, based on the linear wave conditions, by numerically analyzing the impacts of buoy geometry (cuboid, cylindroid, boat-like, and capsule) on the floating motions and capture energy. Hinge constraints and hydraulic damping are considered in the numerical model, and the effects of wave parameters on the captured power of WECs are analyzed. Numerical results show that with the increase of wave period, the capture power of each WEC first increases and then decreases, and the capsule-shaped WEC has the largest power capture capability with a capture width of 0.469λ. While the boat-like also has a considerable capture width (0.459λ), with a lower wave resistance (6657.5 N) and 16% less mass, so this novel WEC has more potential for practical applications.