Analysis of a Wave Front Parallel WEC Prototype

Nowadays, clean renewable energy extraction solutions are becoming a crucial practice in society. Many different sources are being developed including ocean energy and in specific, ocean waves. In deep water conditions, ocean waves can become very power dense, continuous, and forecastable. Wave height, velocity, and frequency are all variable wave characteristics making it challenging to capture wave power economically. The RTI F2 is a promising wave energy conversion device that is currently under research. Its method of power capture is a buoyant vessel oriented normal to oncoming waves. This paper discusses known control methods implemented on the RTI F2, the experimental setup used for control of the device, and wave tank testing done at the University of New Hampshire's Chase Laboratory. Experimental data was obtained across various wave conditions, plate angles, vessel weights, and control strategies. The results of these tests are presented in the subject matter.

[1]  Ted K.A. Brekken,et al.  Large-scale ocean wave energy plant modeling , 2010, 2010 IEEE Conference on Innovative Technologies for an Efficient and Reliable Electricity Supply.

[2]  J.G. Vining,et al.  Economic Factors and Incentives for Ocean Wave Energy Conversion , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.

[3]  Zhe Zhang,et al.  Wave energy converter modeling in the frequency domain: A design guide , 2012, 2012 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE).

[4]  Ted K.A. Brekken,et al.  Drives Comparison for Reciprocating and Renewable Energy Applications , 2009, 2009 Twenty-Fourth Annual IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition.

[5]  M. Moallem,et al.  A review of ocean wave energy conversion systems , 2009, 2009 IEEE Electrical Power & Energy Conference (EPEC).

[6]  Henk Polinder,et al.  Direct drive in wave energy conversion — AWS full scale prototype case study , 2011, 2011 IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting.

[7]  Leo H. Holthuijsen.  Waves in Oceanic and Coastal Waters: Tides and currents , 2007 .

[8]  Markus Mueller,et al.  Power Conditioning of the Output from a Linear Vernier Hybrid Permanent Magnet Generator for using Direct Drive Wave Energy Converters , 2005 .

[9]  A. R. Wallace,et al.  On the capture width of wave energy converters , 2009 .

[10]  Krish Thiagarajan,et al.  Modeling of the Efficiency of a Semisubmerged Ocean Wave Energy Converter , 2013 .

[11]  P. R. M. Brooking,et al.  Control requirements of direct drive wave energy converters , 2002, 2002 IEEE Region 10 Conference on Computers, Communications, Control and Power Engineering. TENCOM '02. Proceedings..

[12]  Bernard Multon,et al.  Sizing Optimization Methodology of a Surface Permanent Magnet Machine-Converter System Over a Torque-Speed Operating Profile: Application to a Wave Energy Converter , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[13]  K. Rhinefrank,et al.  Development and characterization of a novel direct drive rotary wave energy point absorber MTS-IEEE oceans conference proceedings , 2009, OCEANS 2009.

[14]  Marta Molinas,et al.  Reliability analysis of IGBT Inverter for Wave Energy Converter with focus on thermal cycling , 2014, 2014 Ninth International Conference on Ecological Vehicles and Renewable Energies (EVER).

[15]  P. Bauer,et al.  Wave Energy Converter Concepts : Design Challenges and Classification , 2012, IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine.

[16]  Ted K.A. Brekken,et al.  Ocean wave energy overview and research at Oregon State University , 2009, 2009 IEEE Power Electronics and Machines in Wind Applications.

[17]  David MacPhee,et al.  Integrating wind and wave energy conversion , 2011, 2011 International Conference on Electrical and Control Engineering.

[18]  J.G. Vining,et al.  Ocean Wave Energy Conversion - A Survey , 2006, Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE Industry Applications Conference Forty-First IAS Annual Meeting.

[19]  Byung-Hak Cho,et al.  Design and control of 2kW class power takeoff unit for rotating body type wave energy converter , 2011, OCEANS'11 MTS/IEEE KONA.

[20]  Xiao-Ping Zhang,et al.  Modeling, Control Strategy, and Power Conditioning for Direct-Drive Wave Energy Conversion to Operate With Power Grid , 2013, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[21]  J.T. Scruggs.  Multi-objective optimal causal control of an ocean wave energy converter in random waves , 2011, OCEANS'11 MTS/IEEE KONA.

[22]  W. Marsden.  I and J , 2012 .

[23]  Jonathan Shek,et al.  Power conversion for wave energy applications , 2010 .

[24]  Jonathan Shek,et al.  Reaction force control of a linear electrical generator for direct drive wave energy conversion , 2007 .

[25]  Yoshimi Goda,et al.  Random Seas and Design of Maritime Structures , 1985 .

[26]  Ted K.A. Brekken,et al.  Wave Energy Converter with wideband power absorption , 2011, 2011 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition.

[27]  O. Phillips.  The dynamics of the upper ocean , 1966 .

[28]  J. Falnes.  Ocean Waves and Oscillating Systems , 2002 .

[29]  Mats Leijon,et al.  Ocean wave energy absorption in response to wave period and amplitude - offshore experiments on a wave energy converter , 2011 .

[30]  J. Crease.  The Dynamics of the Upper Ocean , 1967 .

[31]  Ted K.A. Brekken,et al.  Per-unit wave energy converter system analysis , 2011, 2011 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition.

[32]  M. Omizo,et al.  Modeling , 1983, Encyclopedic Dictionary of Archaeology.

[33]  N. C. Sahoo,et al.  A survey of technologies used in wave energy conversion systems , 2011, 2011 International Conference on Energy, Automation and Signal.