Performance and wave impact of an integrated multi-raft wave energy converter with floating breakwater for tropical climate

A novel concept of wave energy converter cum breakwater is proposed, consists of a multiple-raft wave energy converter (WEC) integrated with a floating breakwater (FB), which is termed as the integrated multi-raft wave energy converter (IMR-WEC). The IMR-WEC allows the conversion of wave energy into electricity while protecting the coast from erosion due to wave impact. A numerical model is developed to investigate the performance of the IMR-WEC in energy generation and to study its effectiveness in attenuating the wave forces. The effects of varying dimensions of the WEC, mooring stiffness, wave periods and wave directions are studied to suggest the optimal design for the proposed IMR-WEC to be most effective in generating energy and in protecting the coastal line. Both the regular waves and uni-directional irregular waves for a tropical climate are considered in the paper. The feasibility study shows that an appropriately sized IMR-WEC is able to function both as a wave energy converter and a floating breakwater, where an average capture width of greater than 1.50 m could be achieved in a typical tropical climate.