Multibody Analysis of Wave Energy Converters and a Floating Platform in the Time Domain

Generally, new and renewable energy systems generate electricity by installing and operating multiple modules simultaneously. In the Republic of Korea, recent studies and developments have focused on asymmetric wave energy converters (hereafter referred to as rotors) suitable for marine environments off the western coast of Jeju. These rotors are arranged on a large floating truss-structure platform and designed to harness electricity from the rotors’ pitch motion. However, when multiple rotors operate on a platform, their behavior diverges from that of a single module due to hydrodynamic interactions between them. Moreover, because the rotors are connected to the floating platform, their motion is influenced by the platform’s dynamics. In this study, a time-domain multibody motion equation was established to analyze changes in the behavioral characteristics of the rotors, both with and without a floating platform. The hydrostatic and hydrodynamic coefficients were derived in the frequency domain using WAMIT, a commercial code based on linear potential flow theory for three-dimensional diffraction/radiation analyses. The motion equation was then applied under regular and irregular wave conditions using OrcaFlex version 11.3, a marine systems design and analysis program. The resulting behaviors were compared to elucidate the influence of the platform and hydrodynamic interactions on the rotors’ performance.