To further investigate the coupled fluid–structure–electric behaviour of flexible wave energy converters, an integrated numerical framework incorporating computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element analysis (FEA), and electro-mechanical modelling has been developed. This tool enables fully coupled FSI–electric simulations for a representative flexible tube WEC (S3), accounting for the interactions among fluid loading, structural deformation, and dielectric elastomer membrane response.
Using this framework, the dynamic responses of the S3 WEC under regular wave conditions can be systematically analysed, including tube motion, pressure distribution, structural stress and strain, as well as the generated electrical output. This provides deeper insight into the multiphysics coupling mechanisms governing the performance of flexible WEC systems.
Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of fluid-structure-electricity coupling framework