Development of an Efficient Design Technique for the Optimisation of Mooring Systems for Wave Energy Arrays

Abstract

Research, funded by the Marine Institute, was carried out on mooring systems for wave energy arrays. An outline of the research results and outcomes are presented in this report. The objectives of the research were to: review the wave energy industry and define design parameters; establish a comprehensive set of design curves to facilitate the selection of a preliminary mooring system; develop trends in system response from the evaluation of a broad range of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) specifications, water depths and environments; assess the fatigue life of wave energy mooring configurations; prepare a preliminary Integrity Management Strategy (IMS) for wave energy mooring system arrays; and to integrate all progress into a guideline document. Various software packages supported the project and are described in an appendix. A comprehensive set of design curves was compiled for a range of WEC sizes, water depths, mooring configurations and layouts, and environmental conditions. These curves allow identification of feasible configurations for a given set of design parameters. A preliminary Integrity Management Strategy (IMS) was compiled to ensure the safe operation and station-keeping of WECs in a mooring system array. The IMS included a risk assessment to identify potential failures, and an inspection/monitoring strategy to mitigate these risks.