Hydrodynamic analysis of marine floating photovoltaics under the influence of seabed topography and coastlines

Marine floating photovoltaics (MFPV) systems emerge as a promising frontier in the development of offshore clean energy, with their primary applications being in nearshore shallow waters. In these areas, the shallow depths, intricate seabed topographies and rugged shorelines profoundly affect wave propagation and transformation processes, leading to highly inhomogeneous wave conditions and thereby rendering traditional hydrodynamic theories based on assumptions of open seas inadequate. This study employs a hybrid Boussinesq-Panel Method (HBPM) to incorporate the effects of topography on wave dynamics into hydrodynamic calculations, striking a balance between computational accuracy and efficiency. A series of validation cases demonstrate the accuracy and necessity of the HBPM in shallow water environments. Computational results from typical bay scenarios reveal that variations in water depth and coastline reflections create multidirectional, non-uniform wave fields, which lead to complex force and motion characteristics of the structure. To ensure structural integrity, it is recommended to select installation sites located away from the breakwater entrance and close to the breakwater itself. •Hydrodynamic behavior of a novel marine floating photovoltaics in nearshore shallow waters is analyzed via a hybrid method.•Computational inaccuracies caused by traditional methods in variable-depth shallow water environments are identified.•The accuracy and necessity of the hybrid method in topography-impacted hydrodynamic calculations are validated.•The optimal installation location in a typical bay environment are determined using hybrid Boussinesq-Panel method.