Abstract
Marine energy sources represent an attractive and inexhaustible reservoir able to contribute to the fulfillment of the world energy demand in accordance with climate/energy regulatory frameworks. Wave energy converter (WEC) integration into the main grid requires both the maximization of the harvested energy and the proper management of the generation variability. The present paper focuses on both these mentioned issues. More specifically, it presents an embedded point pivoted absorber (PPA) and its related control strategy aimed at maximizing the harvested energy. Experimental and numerical investigations have been carried out in a wave/towing tank facility in order to derive the design characteristics of the full-scale model and demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
Highlights
Nowadays, national energy policies are driven by several needs such as promoting the use of endogenous sources in order to limit the energy dependence from foreign countries and enhance the security of the energy supply, respecting the energy/environmental targets established in the international frameworks, and stimulating the global cost competitiveness [1]
The small-scale Wave energy converter (WEC) prototype is rigidly anchored to the bridge, while a a moving wall wave generator, installed at one end of the basin, is able to work in the operating moving wall wave generator, installed at one end of the basin, is able to work in the operating frequency interval (0.35–1.2 Hz) with a maximum wave height value of 0.6 m
This paper proposes a perturb and observe (P&O) full electric control strategy for an embedded point pivoted absorber (PPA)
Summary
National energy policies are driven by several needs such as promoting the use of endogenous sources in order to limit the energy dependence from foreign countries and enhance the security of the energy supply, respecting the energy/environmental targets established in the international frameworks, and stimulating the global cost competitiveness [1]. Pivoted type energy converters exploit both horizontal and vertical translations of the floating body [16,17,18] In this regard, Wavestar and Seapower platform are examples of full-scale devices characterized by a hydraulic power take-off system using oil as the working fluid and requiring a complex control mechanism [19]. A promising solution for mitigating this effect and in doing so promote the WECs’ network integration is represented by energy storage systems (ESSs), able to compensate for the power fluctuations in highly variable RES [11,20,21,22] Armed with such a vision, this paper is focused on the design/implementation of an embedded pivoted point absorber and its related maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control strategy. The obtained outcomes will permit the deployment of a 1:1 scale model in the near future
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