Power Take-Off Simulation for Scale Model Testing of Wave Energy Converters
Small scale testing in controlled environments is a key stage in the development of potential wave energy conversion technology. Furthermore, it is well known that the physical design and operational quality of the power-take off (PTO) used on the small scale model can have vast effects on the tank...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-07-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/7/973 |
| _version_ | 1828112664365105152 |
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| author | Scott Beatty Francesco Ferri Bryce Bocking Jens Peter Kofoed Bradley Buckham |
| author_facet | Scott Beatty Francesco Ferri Bryce Bocking Jens Peter Kofoed Bradley Buckham |
| author_sort | Scott Beatty |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Small scale testing in controlled environments is a key stage in the development of potential wave energy conversion technology. Furthermore, it is well known that the physical design and operational quality of the power-take off (PTO) used on the small scale model can have vast effects on the tank testing results. Passive mechanical elements such as friction brakes and air dampers or oil filled dashpots are fraught with nonlinear behaviors such as static friction, temperature dependency, and backlash, the effects of which propagate into the wave energy converter (WEC) power production data, causing very high uncertainty in the extrapolation of the tank test results to the meaningful full ocean scale. The lack of quality in PTO simulators is an identified barrier to the development of WECs worldwide. A solution to this problem is to use actively controlled actuators for PTO simulation on small scale model wave energy converters. This can be done using force (or torque)-controlled feedback systems with suitable instrumentation, enabling the PTO to exert any desired time and/or state dependent reaction force. In this paper, two working experimental PTO simulators on two different wave energy converters are described. The first implementation is on a 1:25 scale self-reacting point absorber wave energy converter with optimum reactive control. The real-time control system, described in detail, is implemented in LabVIEW. The second implementation is on a 1:20 scale single body point absorber under model-predictive control, implemented with a real-time controller in MATLAB/Simulink. Details on the physical hardware, software, and feedback control methods, as well as results, are described for each PTO. Lastly, both sets of real-time control code are to be web-hosted, free for download, modified and used by other researchers and WEC developers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:53:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-43dc59e7697d4930922f3e0b648f4ded |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T11:53:59Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-43dc59e7697d4930922f3e0b648f4ded2022-12-22T04:25:14ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732017-07-0110797310.3390/en10070973en10070973Power Take-Off Simulation for Scale Model Testing of Wave Energy ConvertersScott Beatty0Francesco Ferri1Bryce Bocking2Jens Peter Kofoed3Bradley Buckham4Cascadia Coast Research Ltd., 26 Bastion Square, Third Floor Burnes House, Victoria, BC V8W-1H9, CanadaWave Energy Research Group, Aalborg University, P.O. Box 159, Aalborg DK - 9100, DenmarkDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3055, Stn. CSC, Victoria, BC V8W-3P6, CanadaWave Energy Research Group, Aalborg University, P.O. Box 159, Aalborg DK - 9100, DenmarkDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, P.O. Box 3055, Stn. CSC, Victoria, BC V8W-3P6, CanadaSmall scale testing in controlled environments is a key stage in the development of potential wave energy conversion technology. Furthermore, it is well known that the physical design and operational quality of the power-take off (PTO) used on the small scale model can have vast effects on the tank testing results. Passive mechanical elements such as friction brakes and air dampers or oil filled dashpots are fraught with nonlinear behaviors such as static friction, temperature dependency, and backlash, the effects of which propagate into the wave energy converter (WEC) power production data, causing very high uncertainty in the extrapolation of the tank test results to the meaningful full ocean scale. The lack of quality in PTO simulators is an identified barrier to the development of WECs worldwide. A solution to this problem is to use actively controlled actuators for PTO simulation on small scale model wave energy converters. This can be done using force (or torque)-controlled feedback systems with suitable instrumentation, enabling the PTO to exert any desired time and/or state dependent reaction force. In this paper, two working experimental PTO simulators on two different wave energy converters are described. The first implementation is on a 1:25 scale self-reacting point absorber wave energy converter with optimum reactive control. The real-time control system, described in detail, is implemented in LabVIEW. The second implementation is on a 1:20 scale single body point absorber under model-predictive control, implemented with a real-time controller in MATLAB/Simulink. Details on the physical hardware, software, and feedback control methods, as well as results, are described for each PTO. Lastly, both sets of real-time control code are to be web-hosted, free for download, modified and used by other researchers and WEC developers.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/7/973wave energy conversionmodel testingpower take-offcontrol |
| spellingShingle | Scott Beatty Francesco Ferri Bryce Bocking Jens Peter Kofoed Bradley Buckham Power Take-Off Simulation for Scale Model Testing of Wave Energy Converters Energies wave energy conversion model testing power take-off control |
| title | Power Take-Off Simulation for Scale Model Testing of Wave Energy Converters |
| title_full | Power Take-Off Simulation for Scale Model Testing of Wave Energy Converters |
| title_fullStr | Power Take-Off Simulation for Scale Model Testing of Wave Energy Converters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Power Take-Off Simulation for Scale Model Testing of Wave Energy Converters |
| title_short | Power Take-Off Simulation for Scale Model Testing of Wave Energy Converters |
| title_sort | power take off simulation for scale model testing of wave energy converters |
| topic | wave energy conversion model testing power take-off control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/7/973 |
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