Experimental and Numerical Modelling of a Moored, Generic Floating Wave Energy Converter

Paper in proceeding, 2013

Experiments of a moored floating cylinder in regular waves have been conducted. The buoy had a mass of 35.3 kg and was moored by a 5.9 m long catenary chain. The motions of the buoy were recorded with an infra-red video system and the tension at the fairlead was measured by a load cell. The experiments are used to validate a fast and simple numerical method for the coupled time-domain analysis of floating wave energy converters in operational conditions. The numerical model uses hp-finite elements with a local discontinuous Galerkin formulation for the solution of the dynamics of the mooring cables and linear potential theory for the solution of the dynamics of the floating bodies. The results of the numerical model show an overall good agreement with experimental data. The dynamic behaviour of the tension at the fairlead is captured well, as well as the motions in in heave and pitch. In surge there are discrepancies.