A high-order spectral element unified Boussinesq model for floating point absorbers

Nonlinear wave-body problems are important in renewable energy, especially in case of wave energy converters operating in the near-shore region. In this paper we simulate nonlinear interaction between waves and truncated bodies using an efficient spectral/hp element depth-integrated unified Boussinesq model. The unified Boussinesq model treats also the fluid below the body in a depth-integrated approach. We illustrate the versatility of the model by predicting the reflection and transmission of solitary waves passing truncated bodies. We also use the model to simulate the motion of a latched heaving box. In both cases the unified Boussinesq model show acceptable agreement with CFD results – if applied within the underlying assumptions of dispersion and nonlinearity – but with a significant reduction in computational effort.