Hydroelastic analysis of offshore floating photovoltaic based on frequency-domain model

Abstract

This paper presents a frequency-domain model for analyzing the hydroelastic response and the vulnerable area of floating photovoltaic structures under wave action. The structure is discretized into an array of modules connected by equivalent elastic beams, while the boundary element method is employed to solve the scattering and radiation problems of the modules. The structural stiffness matrix is assembled by employing coordinate transformations and matrix reorganization techniques. The hydrodynamic matrix and the structural stiffness matrix are combined to establish the frequency-domain motion equation for describing the flexibility of the structure. The maximum gradient index is introduced to evaluate the dynamics issues of floating photovoltaic structures. The vulnerable area of the structure is assessed using the equivalent stress based on the von Mises stress theory. The proposed numerical model is validated by comparing the results with benchmark experiment as well as classical numerical model results. With this method, the hydroelastic response of a 300m×300m offshore floating photovoltaic is investigated. The displacement and internal force of the structure under various wave conditions is analyzed. This work can deepen the understanding of the hydrodynamics of floating photovoltaic structures in marine environment.