Parametric study of the effects of clump weights on the performance of a novel wind-wave hybrid system

This paper presents a novel catenary mooring system incorporating multiple clump weights (CWs) designed for a SPIC-Wavestar wind-wave energy hybrid system. To enhance the performance of the hybrid system, a parametric analysis was performed on mooring CWs. The motions of the SPIC platform, along with the power absorbed by the Wavestar wave energy converters (WECs), specifically in response to the operational regular wave, were simulated. The hydrodynamic analysis program AQWA was used for the analysis. The results indicated that the surge and pitch motions of the platform comprised low-frequency and wave-frequency components, whereas the heave motion only comprised a wave-frequency component. However, the low-frequency responses of the surge and pitch motions were substantially smaller than their wave-frequency counterparts. In addition, the properties of the CW exerted notable influence on both platform motion and the overall power absorption by the WEC array. The variation trends with respect to the CW weight, location, and number were complex. Overall, the results of this study provide valuable insights into the mooring design of ocean energy hybrid systems.