The paper presents a time domain model of a heaving buoy wave-energy converter and investigates the tuning problem in irregular seas. The tuning issue is addressed by employing both fixed (passive) and adaptive (active) power-take-off settings. The fixed power-take-off tuning approach includes models based on tuning the device natural frequency to either the energy frequency or peak frequency of the sea-state or a weighted average of several peak frequencies. The adaptive tuning approaches employ a sliding discrete Fourier transform frequency analysis, or a time-series analysis of the measured wave elevation and device velocity to estimate a localized dominant wave frequency and hence calculate power-take-off settings. The paper presents details of these tuning techniques by discussing issues related to the modelling, simulation, and predicted power captures for each method. A comparative study of each method along with practical implications of the results and recommendations are also presented.

More successful results have been obtained in butt-and overlapjoining of Al-alloy plates by a recently developed solid state joining technique, namely friction stir welding (FSW), than in more conventional fusion welding processes. In this joining technique, no fusion takes place in the joint area of the plates welded. This novel joining method also offers the potential to weld some other materials rather than Al-alloys, such as Mg-alloys, brasses and low strength steels.In this study, the applicability of friction stir welding to brasses, namely 90 %Cu-10 %Zn and 70 %Cu-30 %Zn alloys, has been investigated. The joint performance was determined by conducting optical microscopy, microhardness mesurements and mechanical testing (e.g. tensile and bend tests). The effect of welding speed on the joint quality at a given rotational speed of the stirring pin (i.e. 1600 rpm) was also determined for both alloys. The highest joint performances were obtained at a welding speed of 210 mm/ min for both alloys.

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This paper presents a hybrid input shaping method to eliminate residual vibration of multi-mode flexible systems. This method, initially designed for one degree of systems, is modified to apply on linear and nonlinear multi-mode systems. In this method, firstly the flexible system is uncoupled using modal analysis method, and then the parameters of the decoupled system are used to shape the command template signal. A ramp plus ramped cycloid plus ramped versine is proposed as the command template signal to be preshaped. The template function is preshaped to yield zero residual vibration for point to point motion and then the resulting trajectory is convolved with a sequence of two impulses to obtain a twice shaped input. The proposed method is applied to eliminate residual vibration of a linear multimass and flexible joint manipulator types of systems. Simulation results show that the oscillations are considerably decreased with a high degree of robustness in the presence of system parameters uncertainty.

Command shaping is an important open-loop control method for improving the settling time and positioning accuracy. This technique also minimizes residual vibrations. Shaped command profiles are formed by convolving a sequence of impulses or solving special functions for the desired command signal. To determine the input shaper controller commands, estimated values of the system natural frequency and damping ratio are required to make the necessary calculations. However, real systems cannot be modelled precisely, while robustness of the shaper to modelling errors is an important design consideration. Many robust input shapers have been developed and reported in the literature. It has been observed that the robust shapers typically have longer travelling time durations that lead to slow system response. This makes a relationship between shaper rising/travelling time and robustness. This paper presents a review of command shaping methods and analyses the compromise between duration of motion and shaper robustness for positive and smoothly shaped reference commands.

It is well known that the performance of point-absorber wave energy converters (WECs) depends upon resonance with the wave frequency. Indeed, the ideal performance of a resonating point-absorber WEC in a regular sea that can be represented by a simple sinusoid is well known, provided all motions are small and remain in the linear region. However, the performance of such a device in a more realistic, irregular sea that is not represented by a simple sinusoid cannot be so readily calculated. The first difficulty lies in modelling the hydrodynamic behaviour of the device. Recent developments in representing the hydrodynamic diffraction and radiation forces have enabled relatively simple simulation models to be developed, such as those presented and used in this paper. The second difficulty lies in the design of the device itself. In a regular sea with a known wave frequency, the settings of the power take-off system can be defined at well-known optimum values. It is shown in the present paper that, even when the wave frequency is not constant, the local wave frequency can be estimated, and this estimate can be used to adjust the power take-off system settings to maintain quasiresonance and, hence, approach the level of performance in a comparable regular sea. In this manner, for irregular seas it is possible to identify a dominant wave frequency over a relatively short time period and to use this frequency continuously to adjust the power take-off system settings, so as to adapt to the current sea conditions. This is likely, in some sea conditions, to involve the power take-off supplying power over part of the cycle, rather than absorbing it. This will increase the demands placed on the power take-off -particularly on its efficiency when the direction of power flow has to be reversible. The relative performance of such a tuneable point-absorber WEC is assessed in the paper. It is shown that the power converted in irregular seas could be as much as 50 per cent of the rated power, where the latter estimate is equivalent to the power converted in a corresponding regular sea.

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