Comparative Study of Wave Load Effects for Two Wave Energy Converter Concepts

This paper deals with a comparative study of hydrodynamic and structural performance for two different concepts of the FO3 wave energy converter (WEC). The WEC consists of 22 bodies: a semisubmersible platform as supporting structure and 21 buoys as point absorbers. The buoys can slide along some guides that are attached to the deck of the platform. The power is produced from the relative motion between the buoys and the supporting structure by means of hydraulic machinery on the deck. In the first FO3 concept, known as the Alternative 1 FO3, the supporting structure is a ring pontoon semisubmersible platform. The other concept is known as the Alternative 2 FO3, in which the Alternative 1’s semisubmersible platform is replaced by a cylindrical-pontoon platform. As one of the scenarios which is considered in this paper, the buoys are locked at their design draft. The objective is to compare the motions and the axial force and bending moment transfer functions in the column- and guide-deck connections for these two concepts.© 2009 ASME