Preliminary study on global spectral analysis of floating pendulum wave energy converter

Abstract

Stress cycle variations reduce the design life of a floating-pendulum wave-energy converter subjected to wave loads. The action of repeated loading could lead to significant fatigue damage. To ensure that the structures will fulfill their intended function, fatigue assessment should be performed for each structural detail that is subjected to extensive dynamic loading. In the present study, a preliminary fatigue assessment study using stochastic spectral analysis on structures predicts whether the structure is likely to suffer fatigue failure. Finite-element analysis in the frequency domain produces element stress transfer functions that are used in fatigue damage calculation. The long-term stress distribution is also obtained based on the wave-scatter diagram. Important insights obtained from the present study are documented. Copyright ？ 2015 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE).