A wave-to-wire analysis of the adjustable draft point absorber wave energy converter coupled with a linear permanent-magnet generator

An adjustable draft point absorber was recently proposed as a novel approach to improve power absorption with constrained power take-off (PTO) capacities. The key feature of the novel wave energy converter (WEC) concept is to adjust the buoy draft by regulating the ballast water inside the buoy, which aims to enable variation of the natural...

A spectral-domain wave-to-wire model of wave energy converters

Wave-to-Wire models play an important role in the development of wave energy converters. They could provide insight into the complete operating process of wave energy converters, from the power absorption stage to the power conversion stage. In order to cover a set of relevant nonlinear effects, wave-to-wire models are predominately...

Downsizing the Linear PM Generator in Wave Energy Conversion for Improved Economic Feasibility

A crucial part of wave energy converters (WECs) is the power take-off (PTO) mechanism, and PTO sizing has been shown to have a considerable impact on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). However, as a dominating type of PTO system in WECs, previous research pertinent to PTO sizing did not take modeling and optimization of the linear permanent...

A numerical study on the performance of the point absorber Wave Energy Converter integrated with an adjustable draft system

The Power Take-Off (PTO) rating of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) is generally much higher than the average extracted power. Scientific literature has indicated that downsizing the PTO capacity to a suitable level is beneficial for improving the techno-economic competitiveness. In this paper, a novel design, namely the adjustable draft system,...

The application of the spectral domain modeling to the power take-off sizing of heaving wave energy converters

The power take-off (PTO) system is a main component in wave energy converters (WECs), and it accounts for a notable proportion in the total cost. Sizing the PTO capacity has been proven to be significant to the cost-effectiveness of WECs. In the numerical modeling, the PTO size is normally represented by a force constraint. Therefore, to...

The Influence of Sizing of Wave Energy Converters on the Techno-Economic Performance

Currently, the techno-economic performance of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) is not competitive with other renewable technologies. Size optimization could make a difference. However, the impact of sizing on the techno-economic performance of WECs still remains unclear, especially when sizing of the buoy and Power Take-Off (PTO) are considered...

The Influence of Linear Permanent Magnet Generator Sizing on the Techno-Economic Performance of a Wave Energy Converter

Downsizing the Power Take-off (PTO) rating has been proven to be beneficial for decreasing the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of wave energy converters (WECs). However, the linear permanent magnet (PM) generator has not yet been modelled and optimized in detail in previous feasibility studies. This paper extends the study of the PTO...