Hydrodynamic responses of tubular offshore floating photovoltaic structures under wave action: experiments and numerical simulations

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Tubular floating frames are a potential platform for offshore floating photovoltaic (OFPV) systems, but the influence of array length on articulated motion and hydrodynamic-load distribution remains insufficiently understood. This study combines 1:25 physical-model experiments with coupled SPH–MoorDyn–Chrono simulations under regular waves. The single- and dual-module motion comparisons assess individual-body response and articulated motion transfer; the four-module records are presented as an in-sample fitted comparison. Numerical free-decay and parameter-sensitivity analyses characterize coupled oscillations and the dependence of local mooring harmonics on numerical settings. Extending the array from two to four modules does not uniformly amplify or suppress motion; it modifies inter-module phase relationships and redistributes mooring and module loads. The dual-module array exhibits stronger waveward mooring-load concentration and trailing-module rotational amplification, whereas the four-module array distributes rotational response over more modules. A reduced four-module waveward mooring load occurs at the sampled condition near λ/L ≈ 1.87. Side-hinge reaction indices depend on the numerical reaction distribution and do not uniquely determine physical connector loads. The comparisons cover six regular-wave periods in head seas for the adopted model configurations.