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At least 73 records · Page 4

Comments on Control of Wave Energy Converters

The main objective of this letter is to consolidate the knowledge about the dynamics and control of oscillating-body wave energy converters (WECs). A number of studies have shown that control systems strongly affect power absorption; however, there remains a need for a concise and integrated explanation of the theoretical and practical implications that control can have on both performance and the broader WEC design process. This short letter attempts to fill this gap by presenting a discussion on the key practical aspects concerning the dynamics and control of oscillating-body WEC. In particular, the focus is on the choice of control models and a simple causal control scheme suitable for real-time implementation. To conclude, consideration is given to the effect of the power takeoff (PTO) on the maximization of electrical power, thus leading to the derivation of useful conditions for the control co-design of the PTO system.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Revisiting Theoretical Limits for One Degree-of-Freedom Wave Energy Converters

This work revisits the theoretical limits of one degree-of-freedom wave energy converters (WECs). This work considers the floating sphere used in the OES Task 10 WEC modeling and verification effort for analysis. Analytical equations are derived to determine bounds on displacement amplitude, time-averaged power (TAP), and power-take-off (PTO) force. A unique result found shows that the TAP absorbed by a WEC can be defined solely by the inertial properties and radiation hydrodynamic coefficients. In addition, a unique expression for the PTO force was derived that provides lower and upper bounds when resistive control is used to maximize power generation. For complex conjugate control, this same expression only provides a lower bound, as there is theoretically no upper bound. These bounds assist in comparing the performance of the floating sphere if it were to extract energy using surge or heave motion. The analysis shows because of differences in hydrodynamic coefficients for each oscillating mode, there are different frequency ranges that provide better power capture efficiency. The influence of a motion constraint on TAP while utilizing a nonideal power take-off is examined and found to reduce the losses associated with bidirectional energy flow. The expression to calculate TAP with a nonideal PTO is modified by the electrical conversion efficiency and the ratio of the PTO spring and damping coefficients. Furthermore, the PTO spring and damping coefficients were separated in the expression, allowing for limits to be set on the PTO coefficients to ensure net power generation.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Revisiting Theoretical Limits for One-Degree-of-Freedom Wave Energy Converters

This work revisits the theoretical limits of one-degree-of-freedom wave energy converters. This paper considers the floating sphere used in the Ocean Energy Systems Task 10 Wave Energy Converter modeling and verification effort for analysis. Analytical equations are derived to determine bounds on the motion amplitude, time-averaged power, and power-take-off (PTO) force. A unique result was found that shows the time-averaged power absorbed by a wave energy converter can be defined solely by the inertial properties and radiation hydrodynamic coefficients. In addition, a unique expression for the PTO force amplitude was derived that has provided upper and lower bounds when resistive control is used to maximize power generation. For complex conjugate control, this same expression can only provide a lower bound, as there is theoretically no upper bound. These bounds are used to compare the performance of a floating sphere if it were to extract energy using surge or heave motion. The analysis shows that because of the differences in hydrodynamic coefficients of each oscillating mode, there will be different frequency ranges that provide better power capture efficiency. The influence of a motion constraint on power absorption while also utilizing a nonideal power take-off is examined and found to reduce the losses associated with bidirectional energy flow. The expression to calculate the time-averaged power with a nonideal PTO is modified by the mechanical-to-electrical efficiency and the ratio of the PTO spring and damping coefficients. The PTO spring and damping coefficients were separated in the expression, which allows for limits to be set on the possible values of PTO coefficients to ensure a net flow of power to the grid.

50 EE - Wind and Water Power Program - Water (EE-4↗

Revisiting Theoretical Limits for One-Degree-of-Freedom Wave Energy Converters: Preprint

This work revisits the theoretical limits of one-degree of freedom wave energy converters (WECs). This paper considers the floating sphere used in the Ocean Energy Systems (OES) Task 10 Wave Energy Converter modeling and verification effort for analysis. Analytical equations are derived to determine bounds on the motion amplitude, time-averaged power, and power take-off (PTO) force. A unique result was found that shows the time-averaged power absorbed by a WEC can be defined solely by the inertial properties and the radiation hydrodynamic coefficients. In addition, a unique expression for the PTO force amplitude was derived which has provided upper and lower bounds when resistive control is used to maximize power generation. For complex conjugate control, this same expression can only provide a lower bound as there is theoretically no upper bound. These bounds are used to compare the performance of a floating sphere if it were to extract energy using surge or heave motion. The analysis shows that because of the differences in hydrodynamic coefficients of each oscillating mode there will be different frequency ranges that provide better power capture efficiency. The influence of a motion constraint on power absorption while also utilizing a nonideal power take-off is examined and found to reduce the losses associated with bidirectional energy flow. The expression to calculate the time-averaged power with a nonideal PTO is modified by the mechanical-to-electrical efficiency and the ratio of the PTO spring and damping coefficients. These were separated in the expression which allows for limits to be set on the possible values of PTO coefficients to ensure a net flow of power to the grid.

50 EE - Wind and Water Power Program - Water (EE-4↗

HERO WEC V1.0 - WEC-Sim Detailed Simulation Runs and Summary Data

Data sets from simulation runs include 144 wave cases that were run based on the WEC-Sim model (https://mhkdr.openei.org/submissions/483). The 144 wave cases represent waves with the following wave height and wave period ranges: - Significant Wave Height: 0.25 - 4.0m in 0.25m increments - Wave Period: 5 - 13 sec in 1 sec increments Each run was simulated using a Pierson-Moskowitz irregular wave spectrum with a 200 second ramp time and a total simulation time of 2,200 seconds. Summary data set includes a spreadsheet and image files with matrices that are associated with data from simulation runs. All matrices cover the same significant wave height and wave periods from the sim runs, in the same increments. The following matrices are included: - Mechanical Power Input: Absorbed power calculated using linear input velocity at PTO (power take-off) multiplied by winch tension. - Mechanical Power Output: The hydraulic power calculated at the pump output prior to the pressure relief valve dump. - Feed Pressure: Average pressure at RO (reverse osmosis) input prior to pre-filters - RO Power Input: The hydraulic power calculated at the RO system inlet, accounts for flow loss due to pressure relief valve - Water Production: Average clean water flow at RO output

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Performance estimation of resonance-enhanced dual-buoy wave energy converter using coupled time-domain simulation

This article presents the modeling methodology and performance evaluation of the resonance-enhanced dual-buoy WEC (Wave Energy Converter) by HEM (hydrodynamic & electro-magnetic) fully-coupled-dynamics time-domain-simulation program. The numerical results are systematically compared with the authors’ 1/6-scale experiment. With a direct-drive linear generator, the WEC consists of dual floating cylinders and a moon-pool between the cylinders, which can utilize three resonance phenomena from moon-pool dynamics as well as heave motions of inner and outer buoys. The contact and friction between the two buoys observed in the experiment are also properly modeled in the time-domain simulation by the Coulomb-friction model. Moon-pool resonance peaks significantly exaggerated in linear potential theory are empirically adjusted through comparisons with measured values. A systematic comparative study between the simulations and experiments with and without PTO (power-take-off) is conducted, and the relative heave displacements/velocities and power outputs are well matched. Then, parametric studies are carried out with the simulation program to determine optimum generator parameters. The performance with various wave conditions is also assessed.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

HERO WEC V1.0 - Electrical PTO Deployment Data and Analysis

This submission includes the processed and raw field electrical data from NREL's August 2022 HERO WEC (hydraulic and electric reverse osmosis wave energy converter) deployment at Jennette's Pier for the electrical PTO (power take-off).

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

A Review: Indirect Optimal Control of Wave Energy Converters

Wave energy conversion has been the subject of interest in the past several years. While there are several concepts for converting wave power into electric power, the cost of the electric power harvested from ocean waves remains high. One of the main challenges, though it receives less attention, is the control of the wave energy converter (WEC). This paper presents a treatment for the WEC control problem within the context of optimal control theory. The result is systematic development for an explicit expression for a control that maximizes the harvested energy while meeting operational constraints such as the maximum device stroke and the maximum control force. The control presented here can also be adjusted to meet device design constraints such as a limitation on the amount of reactive power available from the power take-off (PTO) unit; this feature enables a control co-design for the PTO unit. Numerical simulations are presented in this paper for demonstration.

control design↗

Oscillating surge wave energy converter using a novel above-water power takeoff with belt-arc speed amplification

We investigate the performance of a novel power takeoff (PTO) featuring belt-arc speed amplification for oscillating surge wave energy converters (OSWECs), aiming to address the challenges of extremely low rotary speed and large torque under the low-frequency ocean wave excitations. The belt-arc design significantly increases the rotary speed of the generator, enabling generator downsizing and decreasing the powertrain friction losses. The design also allows for placing the generator above water, eliminating the need for high Ingress Protection ratings for the generator and powertrain, and potentially leading to substantial reductions in capital and maintenance costs. Using the linear potential wave theory, the dynamics of the integrated system are analyzed, and key parameters are identified. To validate the numerical analysis, a 1:10 scale model is designed, fabricated, and tested in a wave tank. Performance evaluations are conducted under regular and irregular wave conditions, with quantified effects of parameter tuning. The results reveal an optimal wave-to-electric efficiency of 48% under regular wave excitation and 20% under irregular excitation. Furthermore, these findings underscore the effectiveness of the proposed novel PTO design in addressing the challenges of low rotation speed and large torque inherent in OSWECs, demonstrating its ability to efficiently convert wave power into electricity.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Wear of Wave Energy Converters Mooring Lines Belts

Using a belt as a replacement for a rope on a rotary power take-offs (PTOs) system has become more common for wave energy converters, improving cyclic bend over sheave performance with a smaller bending thickness for belts. However, the service life predictions of PTOs are a major concern in design, because belt performance under harsh underwater environments is largely less studied. Here, in this work, the effect of fleet and twist angles on wear life is being investigated both experimentally and numerically. Two three-dimensional equivalent static finite element models are constructed to evaluate the complex stress state of polyurethane-steel belts around steel drums. The first is to capture the response of the experimental investigation performed on the wear life, and the second to predict the wear life of an existing functional PTO. The results show a significant effect for fleet and twist angles on stress concentrations and estimated service life.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

A Comparison of Power Take-Off Architectures for Wave-Powered Reverse Osmosis Desalination of Seawater with Co-Production of Electricity

Several power take-off (PTO) architectures for wave-powered reverse osmosis (RO) desalination of seawater are introduced and compared based on the annual average freshwater production and the size of the components, which strongly relate to the costs of the system. The set of architectures compared includes a novel series-type PTO architecture not previously considered. These seawater hydraulic PTO architectures are composed of a WEC-driven pump, an RO module, an intake charge pump driven by an electric motor, and a hydraulic motor driving an electric generator for electric power production. This study is performed using an efficient two-way coupled steady-state model for the average performance of the system in a given sea state, including freshwater permeate production, electric power production, and electric power consumption. A multi-objective design problem is formulated for the purposes of this comparative study, with the objectives of maximizing annual freshwater production, minimizing the displacement of the WEC-driven pump, and minimizing the installed RO membrane area. This establishes a framework for comparison in the absence of a mature techno-economic model. The requirement that the system produces enough electric power to meet its consumption is applied as a constraint on the operation of the system. The oscillating wave surge converter Oyster 1 is assumed as the WEC. Weights on performance of the system in a given sea state are based on historical data from Humboldt Bay, CA. This study finds that (1) architectures in a series configuration allow for a reduction in the WEC-driven pump size of 59–92% compared to prior work, (2) varying the displacement of the WEC-driven pump between sea conditions does not provide any significant advantage in performance, and (3) varying the active RO membrane area between sea condition offers improvements between 7% and 41% in each design objective.

Energy & Fuels↗

MBARI-WEC September and October 2022 Field Data

This data is needed to simulate a model of the MBARI-WEC (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Wave Energy Converter device) in a simulation environment (e.g. Gazebo) for 56 observation dates in the time between September and October 2022, and to compare the simulation outputs to the corresponding field data of the physical MBARI-WEC. There were 50 observations chosen in Sept and 6 observations in Oct. To help understand terms below, a summary of the system can be found at the github link in the downloads section below. The Gazebo MBARI-WEC model is also provided, should users wish to simulate using this platform. There are 4 *mat files included. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Spectrum and Simulation Inputs: September2022_spectrum_siminputs.mat and October2022_spectrum_siminputs.mat has data needed for simulation inputs in table format. These include the ocean spectrum for an observation and operating parameters of the MBARI-WEC during that observation. They are organized as rows representing an observation and columns representing data. For example, for the September *mat there are 50 rows. The first 7 columns are Datetime, sig_waveheight, peak_period, mean_period, heaveconedoor_status, pistonpos_mean, and scale_factor: - Datetime is the date and time the observation occurred in PST - sig_waveheight is the significant wave height of the ocean spectrum during that observation in meters - peak_period is the peak period of the ocean spectrum during that observation in seconds - mean_period is the mean period of the ocean spectrum during that observation in seconds - heaveconedoor_status is the status of the heave cone doors where 0 represents the doors are open and 1 represents they are closed - pistonpos_mean is the mean position of the PTO ram (piston) in meters - scale_factor is an additional factor of 0.5 --1.4 applied to a default damping relationship The next columns are data needed to represent the ocean spectrum. First are the frequencies [Hz] labeled as "f0-f38", then the variance density [m2/Hz] labeled as "vardens0-vardens38". October2022_spectrum_siminputs.mat follows as a similar format as above, but includes a larger amount of ocean spectrum frequencies and variance density elements. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Field data: The field data is found in MBARIWEC_septdata.mat and MBARIWEC_octdata.mat for the observations of September and October, respectively. These contain data in a struct format. The struct contains the following fields for each observation: PC_BattCurr, PC_LoadCurr, PC_RPM, PC_Voltage, SC_Range, SC_Velocity, DateTime, where: - PC_BattCurr is the current flowing to or from the onboard batteries in Amps - PC_LoadCurr is the current flowing to the load dump in Amps - PC_RPM is the electric/hydraulic motor shaft speed (directly coupled) in RPM - PC_Voltage is the bus voltage at the power converter in Volts - SC_Range is the PTO ram (piston) position in meters where 0 is fully retracted and 2.03 is fully extended - SC_Velocity is the PTO ram (piston) velocity in meters/sec - DateTime is the date and time of the sampled field data in each observation in PST - Electric Power is equal to: PC_Voltage*(PC_BattCurr + PC_LoadCurr) in Watts For example, upon loading MBARIWEC_octdata.mat, the aforementioned fields would be loaded, each with {6x1} cells for the 6 observations chosen in October. Within the first cell of e.g. SC_Range would be sampled data representing the field data of the MBARIWEC PTO piston position for say, one hour, of the first October observation. The corresponding field DateTime would...

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Techno-Economic Implications of Electrical Machine Scaling for Wave Energy Converters: Preprint

The sizing of an electrical machine for a Wave Energy Converter (WEC) can have a substantial impact on the overall sizing, cost, and rating of the device. An electrical generator is typically part of the power take-off (PTO) system, which is the mechanism by which the energy absorbed by the prime mover is transformed into useable electrical. For practically all WECs, the rate of change of actuation is predominantly determined by the wave resource (i.e., the wave height and frequency) and devices will see a sinusoidally varying velocity according to the wave conditions. The same can then be said for both directly and indirectly coupled PTOs with electrical generators. This techno-economic study investigates electrical machine scaling and associated cost implications through core machine design theory, manufacturer data, supporting literature, and the DOE sponsored Reference Model Project (RMP). The RMP was a partnered effort to develop open-source marine energy (ME) point designs as reference models (RMs) to benchmark ME technology performance and costs, methods for design and analysis of ME technologies, estimations for capital costs, operational costs, and levelized costs of energy (LCOE). The results from this study show torque is directly related to (1) the physical size of the machine required to increase the airgap sheer stresses, (2) the amount of active material, (3) the support structure, (4) bearing size and rating, and (5) offshore cable rating, all of which have a significant effect on overall system costs in terms of both CAPEX and OPEX. This paper aims to be a critical benchmark in helping determine an “optimal” nameplate rating for wave energy devices and their associated PTO. With an optimized rating and sizing process, WEC costs can be reduced, and overall performance can be improved.

cables↗

Techno-Economic Implications of Electrical Machine Scaling for Wave Energy Converters

The sizing of an electrical machine for a Wave Energy Converter (WEC) can have a substantial impact on the overall sizing, cost, and rating of the device. An electrical generator is typically part of the power take-off (PTO) system, which is the mechanism by which the energy absorbed by the prime mover is transformed into useable electrical. For practically all WECs, the rate of change of actuation is predominantly determined by the wave resource (i.e., the wave height and frequency) and devices will see a sinusoidally varying velocity according to the wave conditions. The same can then be said for both directly and indirectly coupled PTOs with electrical generators. This techno-economic study investigates electrical machine scaling and associated cost implications through core machine design theory, manufacturer data, supporting literature, and the DOE sponsored Reference Model Project (RMP). The RMP was a partnered effort to develop open-source marine energy (ME) point designs as reference models (RMs) to benchmark ME technology performance and costs, methods for design and analysis of ME technologies, estimations for capital costs, operational costs, and levelized costs of energy (LCOE). The results from this study show torque is directly related to (1) the physical size of the machine required to increase the airgap sheer stresses, (2) the amount of active material, (3) the support structure, (4) bearing size and rating, and (5) offshore cable rating, all of which have a significant effect on overall system costs in terms of both CAPEX and OPEX. This paper aims to be a critical benchmark in helping determine an “optimal” nameplate rating for wave energy devices and their associated PTO. With an optimized rating and sizing process, WEC costs can be reduced, and overall performance can be improved.

cables↗

Strong and fragile topological Dirac semimetals with higher-order Fermi arcs

Abstract Dirac and Weyl semimetals both exhibit arc-like surface states. However, whereas the surface Fermi arcs in Weyl semimetals are topological consequences of the Weyl points themselves, the surface Fermi arcs in Dirac semimetals are not directly related to the bulk Dirac points, raising the question of whether there exists a topological bulk-boundary correspondence for Dirac semimetals. In this work, we discover that strong and fragile topological Dirac semimetals exhibit one-dimensional (1D) higher-order hinge Fermi arcs (HOFAs) as universal, direct consequences of their bulk 3D Dirac points. To predict HOFAs coexisting with topological surface states in solid-state Dirac semimetals, we introduce and layer a spinful model of an s – d -hybridized quadrupole insulator (QI). We develop a rigorous nested Jackiw–Rebbi formulation of QIs and HOFA states. Employing ab initio calculations, we demonstrate HOFAs in both the room- ( α ) and intermediate-temperature ( α ″ ) phases of Cd 3 As 2 , KMgBi, and rutile-structure ( $$ \beta ^{\prime} $$ β ′ -) PtO 2 .

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Wave Tank Testing Report for Controls Validation of a Heaving Point Absorber

The core objectives of this project is to improve the power capture of three different wave energy conversion (WEC) devices by more than 50% using an advanced control system and validate the attained improvements using wave tank and full scale testing. In parallel, we will bring along the development of a wave prediction system that is required to enable effective control and test it at full scale. The purposes of this report are to: 1. Plan and document the 1/25th scale device testing at the wave-tank facility; 2. Document the test article, setup and methodology, sensor and instrumentation, mooring, electronics, wiring, and data flow and quality assurance; 3. Communicate the testing results between the associated members; 4. Facilitate reviews that will help to ensure all aspects (risk, safety, testing procedures, etc.); 5. Provide a systematic guide to setting up, executing and decommissioning the experiment.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Numerical Modelling of a Two-Body Point Absorber Featuring Variable Geometry

This work presents a novel wave energy converter (WEC) device concept that incorporates variable geometry modules into a two-body point absorber type WEC. The variable geometry modules consist of air inflatable bags in the surface float and a water inflatable ring in the reaction body. The variable geometry floats are able to provide greater control over the device hydrodynamics; they can be inflated or deflated to emphasize either power absorption or load shedding. The device geometry is controlled in a quasi-static fashion, while the power take-off (PTO) unit is controlled on a wave-to-wave timescale. The surface float is tethered directly to the submerged reaction body through PTO tether lines. A linear time-domain analysis, conducted using open-source Wave Energy Converter (WEC-Sim) software, was used to estimate the absorbed power of the WEC in sea states defined by the Wave Energy Prize. WEC power performance was weighted against the expected capital cost of building the load bearing structure of the device, providing an estimated ACE value. The inclusion of the variable geometry modules was shown to be effective in altering the device geometry to improve power capture with a near proportional increase in expected costs, providing a nearly constant power-to-cost ratio.

cost of energy↗

Powering the Woods Hole X-Spar Buoy with Ocean Wave Energy—A Control Co-Design Feasibility Study

Despite its success in measuring air–sea exchange, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s (WHOI) X-Spar Buoy faces operational limitations due to energy constraints, motivating the integration of an energy harvesting apparatus to improve its deployment duration and capabilities. This work explores the feasibility of an augmented, self-powered system in two parts. Part 1 presents the collaborative design between X-Spar developers and wave energy researchers translating user needs into specific functional requirements. Based on requirements like desired power levels, deployability, survivability, and minimal interference with environmental data collection, unsuitable concepts are pre-eliminated from further feasibility study consideration. In part 2, we focus on one of the promising concepts: an internal rigid body wave energy converter. We apply control co-design methods to consider commercial of the shelf hardware components in the dynamic models and investigate the concept’s power conversion capabilities using linear 2-port wave-to-wire models with concurrently optimized control algorithms that are distinct for every considered hardware configuration. During this feasibility study we utilize two different control algorithms, the numerically optimal (but acausal) benchmark and the optimized damping feedback. We assess the sensitivity of average power to variations in drive-train friction, a parameter with high uncertainty, and analyze stroke limitations to ensure operational constraints are met. Our results indicate that a well-designed power take-off (PTO) system could significantly extend the WEC-Spar’s mission by providing additional electrical power without compromising data quality.

autonomous systems↗