Review of Hydrodynamic Modeling for Wave Energy Converter Arrays

Wave energy’s high predictability reduces energy storage needs and enhances energy security, complementing wind and solar power. To capture meaningful amounts of energy, wave energy converters (WECs) can be deployed in arrays. However, a major challenge in optimizing WEC array design is the significant computational cost of modeling the complex hydrodynamic interactions between individual WECs. Numerous methods have been proposed to reduce computation time, but their effectiveness in addressing this challenge remains unreviewed. This work presents a comprehensive overview of WEC array hydrodynamic modeling in the frequency domain under linear potential flow, comparing their limiting assumptions and computational advantages.