OCEAN WAVE PREDICTION FROM NOISY SENSOR MEASUREMENTS

A multitude of sensor types are investigated for the shortterm prediction of the exact time waveforms of ocean waves. a vital component of the optimal control of Wave Energy Converter (WEC) devices. Ocean waves are described as a sum of several plane waves of different frequencies and directions of travel while sensor measurements are assumed to be observed under Gaussian noise. A general expression for the Cramer Rao Bound (CRB) of the estimates is derived pertaining to the group of sensors analyzed in the paper. Recommended sensor types and sensor layouts are suggested for single frequency/direction environments after studying the CRB. Illustrative numerical results supporting these recommendations are provided from a comprehensive study.