The development of a time-domain bem to investigate dynamics of a floating solar platform in nonlinear wave regimes

• Published in: Volume 8: Ocean Renewable Energy
• Main Authors: Abbasnia, Arash, Karimirad, Madjid, Baruah, Gautam, Whittaker, Trevor
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) 2022
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/36db0950-8dc9-4e76-88cb-298b5481ef02; https://doi.org/10.1115/OMAE2022-79728

Harvesting offshore solar power depends on the survival of floating solar platforms under environmental loads such as waves and winds. The response of platforms upon the incident wave depends on the geometry of the platforms drastically. In this study, the solar platform is equipped with two tubular floaters embedded a distance in between, to reserve buoyancy. The displacement as well as the gap length, affect the fluid flow induced by the wave interaction with the platform. The transmitted flow of incident waves amongst the gap and its combination with radiated waves by the floaters’ motions produces a complex flow that may be stimulated by reflecting between floaters. The resultant flow influences the hydrodynamic loads, which may magnify the platform motions. To study this phenomenon, a range of wave frequencies is chosen for interacting with the platform and a numerical model is employed to estimate the dynamics of the platform. Then a parametric analysis is performed on the platform response versus the wave characteristics, which both are normalized by geometric properties of the platform, to establish the range of non-dimensional wave properties that the responses are amplifying. It would enhance the basic design of the platform geometry and the mooring system.