Overview of wave energy converter devices and the development of a new multi-axis laboratory prototype

Aggidis, G.A. and Taylor, C.J. (2017) Overview of wave energy converter devices and the development of a new multi-axis laboratory prototype. IFAC-PapersOnLine, 50 (1). pp. 15651-15656. ISSN 2405-8963

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Abstract

The first part of the article provides an overview of both single-axis and multi-axis wave energy converter (WEC) technology, with a particular focus on present and past prototype devices. The second part of the article considers a multi-axis concept device that has been developed and tank tested at Lancaster University by successive Master of Engineering project teams. TALOS is a point absorber-style device, built as a 1/100th scale representation, with a solid outer hull containing all the moving parts inside. The internal power take-off system is made up of an inertial mass with hydraulic cylinders, which attach it to the hull. The mass makes up a significant proportion of the mass of the device, hence it moves around as the hull is pushed by various wave motions i.e. an inertial mass power take-off approach. The latest design has proven to be successful in wave tank testing, in that the power take-off system yields a smooth output in response to time varying inputs from the waves. An analytical model was developed to combine data from the hull model and hydraulic rig, yielding a predicted power output of up to 3.2 kW.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
IFAC-PapersOnLine
Additional Information:
This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in IFAC-PapersOnLine. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in IFAC-PapersOnLine, 50, 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.ifacol.2017.08.2391
Subjects:
?? power and energy systems (tc 6.3)marine systems (tc 7.2) ??
ID Code:
88422
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
26 Oct 2017 08:00
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
21 Mar 2024 00:45