Assessment of structural stability and power performance for a novel hybrid wind-solar-wave energy system

Integrated power generation systems have gained increasing attention in marine renewable energy development due to their potential synergistic benefits. However, quantitative assessments of the added gains in structural stability and power output are limited. This study proposes a novel wind-solar-wave (WSW) co-generation system that integrates wind, solar, and wave energy technologies to enhance both power performance per unit area and structural stability. A new numerical model is developed based on potential flow theory and multi-body hydrodynamic interactions, and validated using existing data. Eight WSW configurations are examined, considering varying mooring depths and clump weights. Results shows that the integration of wave energy converters (WECs) within and along the perimeter of WSW can improve the structural stability by reducing the vertical fluctuations of the floating solar farm by 41.2%-69.7% while contributing 11.3%-22.6% to the total power generated. Moreover, mooring the additional WECs and floating solar farms (FSFs) to the foundation of offshore wind turbines can also effectively control the overall structural motion of WECs and FSFs. Overall, the present study confirms the promising prospects of the WSW for future design and policy development of offshore energy integration, and also offer a new numerical model that can provide assessment and evaluation of the integrative benefits towards mooring structural stability and power performance for the whole system within the same spatial footprint.