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A Remotely Controlled Sea Level Compensation System for Wave Energy Converters

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  • Mohd Nasir Ayob

    (Swedish Centre for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion, Division of Electricity, Department of Engineering Sciences, The Angstrom Laboratory, P.O Box 534, SE-75121 Uppsala, Sweden
    School of Mechatronic Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Arau 02600, Perlis, Malaysia)

  • Valeria Castellucci

    (Swedish Centre for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion, Division of Electricity, Department of Engineering Sciences, The Angstrom Laboratory, P.O Box 534, SE-75121 Uppsala, Sweden)

  • Johan Abrahamsson

    (Swedish Centre for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion, Division of Electricity, Department of Engineering Sciences, The Angstrom Laboratory, P.O Box 534, SE-75121 Uppsala, Sweden)

  • Rafael Waters

    (Swedish Centre for Renewable Electric Energy Conversion, Division of Electricity, Department of Engineering Sciences, The Angstrom Laboratory, P.O Box 534, SE-75121 Uppsala, Sweden)

Abstract

The working principle of the wave energy converter (WEC) developed at Uppsala University (UU) is based on a heaving point absorber with a linear generator. The generator is placed on the seafloor and is connected via a steel wire to a buoy floating on the surface of the sea. The generator produces optimal power when the translator's oscillations are centered with respect to the stator. However, due to the tides or other changes in sea level, the translator's oscillations may shift towards the upper or lower limit of the generator's stroke length, resulting in a limited stroke and a consequent reduction in power production. A compensator has been designed and developed in order to keep the generator's translator centered, thus compensating for sea level variations. This paper presents experimental tests of the compensator in a lab environment. The wire adjustments are based on online sea level data obtained from the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). The objective of the study was to evaluate and optimize the control and communication system of the device. As the device will be self-powered with solar and wave energy, the paper also includes estimations of the power consumption and a control strategy to minimize the energy requirements of the whole system. The application of the device in a location with high tides, such as Wave Hub, was analyzed based on offline tidal data. The results show that the compensator can minimize the negative effects of sea level variations on the power production at the WEC. Although the wave energy concept of UU is used in this study, the developed system is also applicable to other WECs for which the line length between seabed and surface needs to be adjusted.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohd Nasir Ayob & Valeria Castellucci & Johan Abrahamsson & Rafael Waters, 2019. "A Remotely Controlled Sea Level Compensation System for Wave Energy Converters," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:10:p:1946-:d:233083
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lejerskog, Erik & Boström, Cecilia & Hai, Ling & Waters, Rafael & Leijon, Mats, 2015. "Experimental results on power absorption from a wave energy converter at the Lysekil wave energy research site," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 9-14.
    2. Valeria Castellucci & Johan Abrahamsson & Tobias Kamf & Rafael Waters, 2015. "Nearshore Tests of the Tidal Compensation System for Point-Absorbing Wave Energy Converters," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Dina Silva & Eugen Rusu & Carlos Guedes Soares, 2013. "Evaluation of Various Technologies for Wave Energy Conversion in the Portuguese Nearshore," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-21, March.
    4. José Miguel Paredes-Parra & Antonio Javier García-Sánchez & Antonio Mateo-Aroca & Ángel Molina-García, 2019. "An Alternative Internet-of-Things Solution Based on LoRa for PV Power Plants: Data Monitoring and Management," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, March.
    5. Eugen Rusu, 2014. "Evaluation of the Wave Energy Conversion Efficiency in Various Coastal Environments," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-17, June.
    6. Silvia Bozzi & Adrià Moreno Miquel & Alessandro Antonini & Giuseppe Passoni & Renata Archetti, 2013. "Modeling of a Point Absorber for Energy Conversion in Italian Seas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(6), pages 1-19, June.
    7. Kostas Belibassakis & Markos Bonovas & Eugen Rusu, 2018. "A Novel Method for Estimating Wave Energy Converter Performance in Variable Bathymetry Regions and Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-16, August.
    8. Valeria Castellucci & Mikael Eriksson & Rafael Waters, 2016. "Impact of Tidal Level Variations on Wave Energy Absorption at Wave Hub," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-11, October.
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