Abstract Marine wave energy has the potential to make a substantial contribution toward achieving a carbon-free society. This study investigates the hydrodynamic responses of point absorber wave energy converters (PA-WECs), which are set in linear arrangements perpendicular to the wave direction. Owing to the interaction among the individual PA-WECs in an array, the configuration of the array significantly influences the overall system efficiency. In our previous study, we evaluated the power generation for the optimal control and arrangement of PA-WECs. Building on that foundation, the present study analyzes the hydrodynamic interactions among floating structures and PA-WEC arrays, as well as the corresponding arrangement and control parameters, based on the boundary value problem of potential flow theory. Waves diffracted by the PA-WEC array could be analyzed and optimized for efficiency; the lower the diffracted wave amplitude, higher the efficiency. Furthermore, the theoretical value of the q-factor was determined to evaluate the performance enhancement achieved through optimal array design. The wave field analysis revealed that, as the number of WECs increases, the array exhibits a pronounced damping effect on the wave amplitudes on the lee side, indicating effective absorption of incident wave energy.
Murai et al. (Thu,) studied this question.