Frequency/time domain modeling of a direct drive point absorber wave energy converter

Abstract

Two different methods to model a point absorber wave energy converter (WEC) with direct drive linear power take-off (PTO) are proposed in the present study: the frequency domain (FD) method and the time domain (TD) method. In the FD analysis, the frequency response function (FRF) of the WEC device is obtained via the equation of motion, and the expressions of power capture width in regular and random waves are derived as well. In the TD modeling, based on a state space approximation of the convolution term in the motion equation, both regular wave and random wave simulations are carried out. The regular wave simulation results indicate that the state space approximation is sufficiently accurate and the capture width reaches the maximum in the vicinity of the natural frequency. In the random wave simulations, the effects of buoy size, the PTO damping and wave climate on the power capture width are discussed in detail, which leads to the conclusion that the capture widths are influenced by the natural frequency of the WEC device, peak frequency of the wave spectrum, the amplitude of FRF and PTO damping. Furthermore, the increase of the capture width is at the cost of a relatively large buoy size and PTO damping when control is not included.