Experimental investigation on the wave-oscillating buoy interaction and wave run-up on the buoy

The interaction between a wave and an oscillating buoy is complex, and it directly affects the stability, working state, and efficiency of the buoy. In this study, an experimental investigation of the interaction between a wave and an oscillating buoy (including wave breaking, wave run-up, and the relative motion between waves and buoys) is conducted under constant power take-off (PTO) values. The wave conditions selected in the experiment are all obtained from measured data on the Qingdao coast, China. The experimental results show that when the wave steepness is greater than 0.0597, there is an obvious wave breaking in front of the oscillating buoy and that the steepness of the critical wave decreases with an increase in PTO. When the relative damping force is 0.101. In addition, an empirical formula based on the wave steepness, the PTO value, and the wave run-up is proposed in accordance with the M5’ model tree. The results obtained in this study contribute to an increased understanding of the development of wave energy from buoys. In turn, this improvement in understanding will inform the design and deployment of buoys in real-life scenarios. •Wave run-up in front of the buoy is investigated under wave conditions.•Maximum wave run-up increases with wave steepness.•The critical wave steepness of wave breaking on the front of the oscillating buoy decreases with the increase of PTO.•M5' model tree algorithm was implemented to develop formulae in run-up prediction.