TY - JOUR
TI - Array analysis on a seawall type of deformable wave energy converters
AU - Wei, Y
AU - Wang, C
AU - Chen, W
AU - Huang, L
T2 - Renewable Energy
AB - There has been a significant interest in developing Flexible Wave Energy Converters (FlexWECs) that utilise structural deformations to generate electricity and mitigate destructive wave loads to the devices. In the meantime, FlexWECs are most likely to operate in an array format to enhance space usage and power output, as well as provide convenience for maintenance. In this context, the present paper develops a high-fidelity computational model to investigate the interaction of ocean surface waves with an array of seawall-type FlexWECs, which can meanwhile serve coastal engineering purposes. The fluid field is solved using the Navier-Stokes equations, and structural deformations are predicted using a nonlinear finite-element method. Hydroelastic interactions of up to seven deforming FlexWECs with the surrounding wave fields are demonstrated through systematic simulation cases. Based on the simulation results, analyses are conducted to investigate how the wave farm energy output is influenced by the gap between individual devices and the number of devices deployed. Accordingly, empirical design suggestions are provided. Overall, this work innovatively simulates the hydroelastic interactions between waves and multiple deforming structures, and the provided insights are useful for promoting the development of FlexWECs and their wave farms.
DA - 2024/05//
PY - 2024
VL - 225
SP - 120344
UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124004099
DO - 10.1016/j.renene.2024.120344
LA - English
KW - Wave
KW - Modeling
KW - Array Effects
KW - Hydrodynamics
ER -