Browsing by Author "Wei, Yujia"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    An interdisciplinary literature review of floating solar power plants
    (Elsevier, 2025-03) Wei, Yujia; Khojasteh, Danial; Windt, Christian; Huang, Luofeng
    Floating photovoltaic is predicted to be the most ubiquitous energy technology in the future, with global installations projected to reach 10 GW by 2030, potentially generating 13.5 TWh of clean electricity annually. The extrapolation of solar power plants from land-based to water-based requires interdisciplinary expertise from fields such as energy systems, hydrodynamics, structures, environments, and electrical engineering. To bridge the disciplines, the present review analyses existing floating solar related publications comprehensively. Initially, a comprehensive literature scan of over 900 publications is presented, selectively leading to approximately 400 papers included. Subsequently, three review sectors are presented: design, modelling, and environmental effects. These cover various structural components, system-air-water interactions, their modelling approaches, power output prediction, and potential impacts on the surrounding environment including vegetation and animals. Key findings suggest the potential for enhancing energy efficiency through water-based cooling techniques, innovative modularised designs to support upscaling, positive environmental impacts including artificial habitats, and the utilisation of advanced marine structure designs such as a breakwater to protect the solar systems from ocean wave loads. In addition, the levelised cost of electricity of various floating solar studies are presented, including both theoretical and practical projects. The levelised cost of electricity has been decreasing, to a level of 0.05–0.07 USD/kWh, making FPV increasingly competitive as a clean and affordable energy choice. Overall, this review aims to facillitate interdisciplinary research and projects on the booming floating photovoltaic industry.
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    Array analysis on a seawall type of deformable wave energy converters
    (Elsevier, 2024-03-24) Wei, Yujia; Wang, Chao; Chen, Wenchuang; Huang, Luofeng
    There has been a significant interest in developing Flexible Wave Energy Converters (FlexWECs) that utilise structural deformations to generate electricity and mitigate destructive wave loads to the devices. In the meantime, FlexWECs are most likely to operate in an array format to enhance space usage and power output, as well as provide convenience for maintenance. In this context, the present paper develops a high-fidelity computational model to investigate the interaction of ocean surface waves with an array of seawall-type FlexWECs, which can meanwhile serve coastal engineering purposes. The fluid field is solved using the Navier-Stokes equations, and structural deformations are predicted using a nonlinear finite-element method. Hydroelastic interactions of up to seven deforming FlexWECs with the surrounding wave fields are demonstrated through systematic simulation cases. Based on the simulation results, analyses are conducted to investigate how the wave farm energy output is influenced by the gap between individual devices and the number of devices deployed. Accordingly, empirical design suggestions are provided. Overall, this work innovatively simulates the hydroelastic interactions between waves and multiple deforming structures, and the provided insights are useful for promoting the development of FlexWECs and their wave farms.
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    Coupled analysis between catenary mooring and VLFS with structural hydroelasticity in waves
    (Elsevier, 2023-09-12) Wei, Yujia; Yu, Shuangrui; Jin, Peng; Huang, Luofeng; Elsherbiny, Khaled; Tezdogan, Tahsin
    The rapid growth of marine renewables has led to the development of very large floating structures (VLFS) that are designed to operate in deep seas. It is significant to understand the mechanism of the coupled effects between deformable VLFS and catenary mooring system. This paper presents a time-domain hydro-elastic-moored model developed by integrating a quasi-static mooring module into a fully coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) - discrete-module-beam (DMB) approach. The model is used to investigate the coupled effects between structural hydroelasticity and loose-type mooring systems on a deformable VLFS in waves. The mooring and hydroelasticity codes are validated separately and show favourable agreement with other numerical and experimental results. Then the coupled effects between the mooring system and structural hydroelasticity are evaluated by assigning various design parameters, i.e., VLFS structural stiffness and mooring stiffness. The numerical results, including dynamic motions, longitudinal vertical bending moments (VBMs) and mooring tension forces are presented and analysed. These results can be used to design a VLFS with mooring in medium-deep sea, and help with the conventional mooring design for a less-stiffness VLFS due to hydroelastic response.
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    Effects of a breakwater on a floating solar farm in heading and oblique waves
    (AIP Publishing, 2024-11-01) Zou, Detai; Wei, Yujia; Ou, Binjian; Zhang, Chao; Chu, Shengnan; Huang, Luofeng
    Floating photovoltaic (FPV) solar farms have gained significant research and industrial interest in recent years. However, to support its deployment in abundant ocean space, FPV is required to be protected against wave loading. Thus, the usage of a breakwater in front of a floating solar farm is particularly promising. In this work, a time-domain simulation model for an array of FPV solar units in heading and oblique waves was established. Following validation against experiments, the model was used to predict the wave-induced motion and loading responses of each floating solar unit in an array, first without a breakwater, and subsequently with a breakwater. By comparison, it was found that a breakwater can reduce the wave-induced motions of a floating solar farm by up to 56%, alongside up to 55% reduction of loading on the joints between FPV units. However, the breakwater is less effective in relatively long waves and could induce some increase in loading on joints, signifying future work to optimize the design of the breakwater based on the intended environmental condition. Overall, the present results provide insights into a practical breakwater solution for FPV in offshore and coastal conditions, supporting the long-term development of this industry.
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    Hydrodynamic analysis of a heave-hinge wave energy converter combined with a floating breakwater
    (Elsevier, 2024-01-02) Wei, Yujia; Yu, Shuangrui; Li, Xiang; Zhang, Chongwei; Ning, Dezhi; Huang, Luofeng
    Research interest in breakwater design has increased recently due to the impetus to develop marine renewable energy systems, as breakwaters can be retrofitted to harness wave energy at the same time as attenuating it. This study investigates a novel system of attaching a hinge baffle under a floating breakwater. The floating breakwater itself acts as a heaving wave energy converter, and meanwhile the hinge rotation provides a second mechanism for wave energy harnessing. A computational model with multi-body dynamics was established to study this system, and a series of simulations were conducted in various wave conditions. Both wave attenuation performance and energy conversion ratio were studied, using an interdisciplinary approach considering both coastal engineering and renewable energy. In particular, the performance of the proposed system is compared with contemporary floating breakwater designs to demonstrate its advantage. Overall, a useful simulation framework with multi-body dynamics is presented and the simulation results provide valuable insights into the design of combined wave energy and breakwater systems.
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    Hydroelastic modelling of a deformable wave energy converter including power take-off
    (Elsevier, 2024-11-01) Wang, Chao; Wei, Yujia; Chen, Wenchuang; Huang, Luofeng
    Given the advantages of flexible wave energy converters (FlexWECs), such as deformation-led energy harnessing and structural loading compliance, there has been a significant interest in FlexWECs in both academia and industries. To simulate the FlexWEC interaction with ocean surface waves, a 3D computational fluid-structure interaction approach is developed in this study. The fluid and solid governing equations are discretized using finite difference and finite element methods, respectively. An immersed boundary method is used to couple the two independent grid systems. A novel numerical technique is introduced to model the dielectric elastomer generator (DEG) as the power take-off (PTO). The wave energy capture performance is analysed for different PTO configurations and at various wave conditions. Based on the obtained results, the PTO damping coefficient and the relative wavelength range that maximizes the capture width ratio (CWR) are determined. The wavefield results also reveal the presence of wave-height enhancement and attenuation points around a single FlexWEC, providing potential site selection references when deploying multiple FlexWECs in an array.
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    Interactive effects of deformable wave energy converters operating in close proximity
    (Elsevier, 2024-11-01) Wang, Chao; Wei, Yujia; Chen, Wenchuang; Huang, Luofeng
    Flexible wave energy converters (FlexWECs) have been gaining increasing research and industrial interest as their deformable nature can potentially remedy the structural issues that limit the development of rigid WECs. To maximise the usage of space and infrastructure and improve energy efficiency, FlexWECs are normally deployed in close proximity, where the wave interaction with one device can influence others, signifying the opportunity to obtain energy efficiency enhancement from the interactions. To investigate the power capture performance of a FlexWEC array, this study employed a validated three-dimensional high-fidelity computational method to simulate the wave interaction with three FlexWECs in various array arrangements including power-take off. Based on systematic simulation cases, the present work analysed the relation between the geometrical characteristics of an isolated FlexWEC's perturbed wave field and the array's overall energy capture efficiency. The constructive interaction of the array was found the strongest when the longitudinal and lateral spacings of the array were 0.6 and 1 times of incident wavelength respectively, with a 15 % enhancement of overall captured energy compared to three devices operating in isolation. Overall, this study provides insights into the fluid-structure interaction of waves with multiple deformable structures, facilitating the modelling and planning of FlexWECs.
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    Motion characteristics of a modularized floating solar farm in waves
    (American Institute of Physics (AIP), 2024-03-07) Wei, Yujia; Zou, Detai; Zhang, Deqing; Zhang, Chao; Ou, Binjian; Riyadi, Soegeng; Utama, I. K. A. P.; Hetharia, Wolter; Wood, Tim; Huang, Luofeng
    Modularized floating solar farms exhibit the potential to replace conventional steel-frame ones, effectively remedying hydroelastic issues of a very large floating structure through discrete modules with mechanical connections. However, the response of the discrete modules under cyclic wave loading has not been fully understood. This paper assesses the motion characteristics and expansibility of modularized floaters in waves, based on computational results from fluid–structural interaction simulations. A crucial factor, denoted as the ratio of frame length to wavelength 𝑅 = 𝐿𝑠/𝜆, is determined to predict the motions of a large floating solar system in head waves. Results indicate that the motion characteristics is predictable based on the R value. The empirical relationship between the R value and the motion of every unit in an array is analyzed. In particular, the results calculated from using the multiple-rigid-bodies method are also compared with those from using the single-large-hydroelastic-body method, and it was found that these two results are similar when R > 1. This similarity allows for predicting the multi-hinged bodies' behavior in waves through a simplified hydroelastic approach. Overall, this study reports insights that are useful for the design and optimization of modularized solar farms and can help address cyclic loading and motion concerns for long-term durability.
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    Simulation of a floating solar farm in waves with a novel sun-tracking system
    (IOP Publishing, 2023-08-09) Wei, Yujia; Ou, Binjian; Wang, Junxian; Yang, Liang; Luo, Zhenhua; Jain, Sagar; Hetharia, Wolter; Riyadi, Soegeng; Utama, IKAP; Huang, Luofeng
    The awareness of the energy and climate crisis has accelerated the development of renewable energy sources. Photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants harvest clean solar energy and convert it to electricity, which will be one of the most promising alternatives to the power industry in the context of a low-carbon society. Due to its low power density, the traditional deployment of PV systems on land or inland rivers requires much space. Therefore, industries are increasingly interested in expanding offshore Floating PhotoVoltaics (FPV) to oceans, where FPV has less influence on the marine environment and does not occupy precious space for land resources and human activities. This study performs a hydrodynamics-based structural response analysis for a novel FPV system in OpenFOAM. The wave-proof FPV platform is newly designed for this work, which integrated breakwater technologies to sustain the system's survivability in harsh ocean-wave environments. Firstly, the rational mooring types for FPVs installed close to the island are studied considering seabed effects. Subsequently, extensive parametric studies have been conducted to determine a rational design strategy for the mitigation of wave impact. Several potential effects of the proposed platforms on the hydrodynamics in a coastal sea are evaluated for the first time.