HYDROELASTIC ANALYSIS OF FLOATING PHOTOVOLTAIC FLOATER UNDER REGULAR WAVES

Abstract

The need for renewable energy is increasing and limited land space for installations has led to the rise of floating photovoltaic (FPV) systems, a promising and relatively new technology for harnessing solar power on water surfaces. Apart from the design and the construction of the FPVs, the hydroelastic problem posed by water waves on plate-like floating structures has a considerable value in the offshore application. This study focuses on the frequency-domain hydroelastic analysis of a recently proposed FPV concept with rope connection. In numerical modelling, each FPV float is simplified as a rectangular plate and modelled by using Mindlin plate elements considering only the vertical degrees of freedom. After a mesh convergence study, the FPV systems with one float and two interconnected floats are studied. Through parametric studies considering different wave headings, periods, and connector stiffness, we compare the distributions of displacement, and bending moments along the float for each system. This study serves as a reference for understanding the hydroelasticity effect of simple FPV systems under different environmental conditions and mechanical connections.