Wave Energy Converter Optimization with Multi-Resonance Controller of the Electrical Power Take-off

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

3-31-2022

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Abstract

The world's oceans hold a tremendous amount of energy and are a promising resource of renewable energy. Wave Energy Converters (WECs) are a technology being developed to extract the energy from the ocean efficiently and economically. The main components of a WEC include a buoy, an electric machine, an energy storage system, and a connection to the onshore grid. Since the absorption of the energy in the ocean's waves is a complex hydrodynamic process a power-take-off (PTO) mechanism must be used to convert the mechanical motion of the buoy into usable electric energy. This conversion can be done by using a rack-and-pinion gear system to transform the linear velocity of the buoy into a rotational velocity that is used to turn the electric machine. To extract the most energy from the ocean waves a controller must be implemented on the electric machine to make the buoy resonate with the frequency of the waves. For irregular wave climates a multi-resonance controller can be utilized to resonate with the wave spectrum and optimize the power output of the WEC.

Publication Title

2022 IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois, PECI 2022

ISBN

9781665402293

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