Investigations into Balancing Peak-to-Average Power Ratio and Mean Power Extraction for a Two-Body Point-Absorber Wave Energy Converter

Abstract

The power harnessed by wave energy converters (WECs) in oceans is highly variable and, therefore, has a high peak-to-average power (PTAP) ratio. To minimize the cost of a WEC power take off (PTO) system, it is desirable to reduce the PTAP ratio while maximizing the mean power extracted by WECs. The important issue of how PTAP ratio reduction measures (such as adding an inertia element) can affect the mean power extracted in a reference model has not been thoroughly addressed in the literature. To investigate this correlation, this study focuses on the integration of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Reference Model 3, a two-body point absorber, with a slider-crank WEC for linear-to-rotational conversion. In the first phase of this study, a full-scale numerical model was developed that predicts how PTO system parameters, along with an advanced control algorithm, can potentially affect the proposed WEC’s PTAP ratio as well as the mean power extracted. In the second phase, an appropriate scaled-down model was developed, and extracted power results were successfully validated against the full-scale model. Finally, numerical and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulations based on the scaled-down model were designed and conducted to optimize or make trade-offs between the operational performance and PTAP ratio. The initial results with numerical and HIL simulations reveal that gear ratio, crank radius, and generator parameters substantially impact the PTAP ratio and mean power extracted.

Oscillating body wave energy conversion efficiency based on Simulink simulation training

“…In addition, the model includes linear radiation damping and nonlinear viscous damping forces, which are often neglected in other models. By including these forces, this model can better capture the energy conversion process in the PTO system 28–31 . The model also considers the fluid in the combined wave‐current action field, an aspect that is often overlooked in existing models.…”

“…By including these forces, this model can better capture the energy conversion process in the PTO system. [28][29][30][31] The model also considers the fluid in the combined wave-current action field, an aspect that is often overlooked in existing models. This provides a more realistic evaluation of the wave energy converter's performance.…”