Hydrodynamic performance of compact arrays of oscillating wave surge converters

This study investigates the hydrodynamic performance of a compact five-flap array of oscillating wave surge converters (OWSCs) using a fully nonlinear open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, OpenFOAM, with particular attention to the combined effects of wave conditions, wave incident angle, and inter-device spacing. The results show that strong hydrodynamic interactions occur within compact arrays, mainly due to wave-height modulation by diffraction and radiation. Under normal wave incidence, the baseline array produces a maximum local downstream wave-height reduction of 14.15%, while local wave amplification also occurs within the array. This indicates its potential for combined wave-energy extraction and wave-field modification. Increasing the incident angle produces a more asymmetric wave field and reduces energy capture because of stronger shadowing of the downstream flaps. The interaction factor q decreases with increasing incident angle, indicating weaker constructive interference. Optimal energy capture is achieved when the lateral spacing between flaps is 1.0–1.5 times the flap width and the longitudinal spacing is approximately 0.4–0.6 times the incident wavelength. These findings provide practical guidance for the design of compact OWSC arrays that combine efficient wave-energy extraction with wave-field modification for nearby marine infrastructure, such as floating photovoltaic platforms.