Coupled Responses and Performance Assessment of Mooring-Connection Systems for Floating Photovoltaic Arrays in Shallow Waters

Overview

This study addresses the coupled dynamic behavior of floating photovoltaic arrays deployed in shallow coastal waters subject to large tidal variations. The research examines integrated mooring-connection system configurations comprising two mooring architectures (horizontal and catenary with clumps) and two connection schemes (cross-cable and hybrid), evaluated for their influence on platform positioning stability and dynamic response characteristics.

Methods and approach

Numerical investigation was conducted to assess four integrated mooring-connection scheme configurations, each customized through adaptability optimization protocols. Evaluation criteria included the feasibility of mooring systems to accommodate tidal range fluctuations, dynamic response behavior under environmental forcing, positioning performance, mooring tension distribution, connection force magnitudes, and structural safety factor requirements. Comparative analysis examined trade-offs between tidal adaptability, operational safety margins, and environmental load responsiveness.

Results

Horizontal and catenary mooring systems demonstrated comparable positioning performance. Horizontal mooring exhibited superior tidal adaptability but incurred substantially elevated mooring tension, introducing safety complications. Hybrid connection schemes produced reduced surge amplitudes relative to cross-cable configurations but generated excessive connection forces, similarly compromising system safety. The catenary mooring system with clumps combined with cross-cable connection configuration minimized structural safety factor requirements. Horizontal mooring paired with cross-cable connection demonstrated enhanced adaptability to water level variations and multidirectional environmental loading in shallow-water contexts.

Implications

The findings indicate that optimal mooring-connection system selection requires multi-criteria evaluation balancing positioning stability, structural safety margins, and environmental adaptability. The catenary mooring with clumps and cross-cable connection configuration presents a conservative design approach with lower safety factor demands, whereas horizontal mooring with cross-cable connection prioritizes adaptive performance across variable tidal and directional loading conditions. These results provide quantitative guidance for practitioners in shallow-water FPV deployment contexts where tidal range variations and mooring-connector coupling effects are operationally significant.