A Study on the Hydrodynamics and Coupling Effects of the Multibody Floating Photovoltaic (FPV) Concept

Floating photovoltaics (FPVs) have been developed rapidly in the past few years and will gradually become “third pillar” of photovoltaic industry. To better understand performance FPV floaters, this paper provides an in-depth study on hydrodynamics a single module coupling effects multiple modules. The results show that conventional frequency domain approach, which includes both panel Morison models, may not necessarily provide realistic results. Even after adding additional damping matrix for floaters based empirical values from oil gas (O&G) industry, free surface model between pontoons, responses were still convincing. Therefore, nonlinear time-domain hydrodynamic solver was introduced. Further studies comparisons performed to behavior module, some updated coefficients summarized. Thereafter, multibody built check effects. With gap among modules, attempts made derive reasonable results, when test available. Preliminary scaled-down system (with 9 modules mooring lines) full-scale 90 buoys, systems) also investigated, initial demonstrated.