Spatial interactions among oscillating wave energy converters: Electricity production and power quality issues

Point absorbers, i.e. wave energy converters (WECs) whose characteristic dimensions are small with respect to the typical wavelength, are designed to be installed in arrays, in order to get a cost-effective power generation. Starting from a coupled hydrodynamic - electromagnetic model of a heaving point absorber, this paper presents an in-depth analysis of the hydrodynamic interactions among devices in array. The final goal is to find out the configurations of a four WEC array, which maximize the energy absorption and the quality of the power output. At this aim, different topological layouts, distances among converters and incident wave directions are investigated. The results highlight that a proper design of the wave farms allows to significantly reduce power fluctuations without negative side effects on electricity production.