Review of Wave Energy Converter and Design of Mooring System

TLDR

Wave energy has progressed as a renewable resource, yet commercial deployment remains limited by challenges in mooring system design. The study aims to design mooring systems that preserve WEC efficiency while minimizing mooring loads. The authors review WEC types, power production, and design challenges, then examine mooring materials, configurations, requirements, modeling approaches, and discuss design considerations, standards, analysis models, software, and current research focus.

Abstract

In recent decades, the emphasis on renewable resources has grown considerably, leading to significant advances in the sector of wave energy. Nevertheless, the market cannot still be considered as commercialized, as there are still other obstacles in the mooring system for wave energy converters (WECs). The mooring system must be designed to not negatively impact the WEC’s efficiency and reduce the mooring loads. Firstly, the overview of the types of wave energy converters (WECs) are classified through operational principle, absorbing wave direction, location, and power take-off, respectively, and the power production analysis and design challenges of WECs are summarized. Then, the mooring materials, configurations, requirements, and the modeling approaches for WECs are introduced. Finally, the design of mooring systems, including the design considerations and standards, analysis models, software, current research focus, and challenges are discussed.