Numerical model of a WEC-type attachment of a moored submerged horizontal set of articulated plates

A 3D numerical model of a moored horizontal submerged structure, composed by a set of hinged plates attached to a vertical flap at its fore, intended to act as a WEC is presented. The horizontal submerged articulated float is composed of six hinged plates as to emulate a flexible horizontal plate. The numerical solution is calculated using BEM code ANSYS® AQWA to study the hydrodynamic behaviour of the structure by considering the rotational stiffness of the hinged plates and the linear stiffness of the mooring lines. The vertical displacements, wave excitation forces, and the horizontal responses of the flap are computed for a range of combinations of these stiffness parameters to estimate the power extraction potential. Present results show that the stability of the system is directly related to the rotational stiffness of the articulations, indicating that more power can be extracted from a stiffer structure for larger wavelengths. It is also shown that stability is dependent on the configuration of the design parameters and the number of mooring lines, as expected.