Optimal Parameter Assessment of Linear PTO System for Improved Wave Energy Efficiency

Abstract

Developing efficient wave energy converters (WECs) tailored to their deployment sites is crucial for economically harvesting power from ocean waves. A key aspect of evaluating WEC performance is the estimation of the power take-off (PTO) parameters. Optimizing the PTO devices to perform effectively in sea states with varying wave amplitude, direction, and frequency is a major challenge. Most previous studies typically use a constant damping coefficient for power calculation across different wave conditions. This approach may lead to inconsistent device performance due to the variations in PTO damping with changing wave characteristics. The analysis of optimal parameters and the maximum power extraction of a PTO system offers a theoretical foundation for efficient energy utilization.
This study investigates how the damping coefficient affects the behavior of a wave energy device under various regular wave conditions. It includes the numerical modelling of a heaving wave energy device with a linear PTO system and assessing the optimal damping coefficients and buoy velocity for maximum power absorption in different wave conditions. The optimum value of PTO damping at the system's natural frequency is estimated and compared to the PTO damping which results in maximum power generation. The study outlines the development of an effective PTO configuration for the wave energy converter model. The results revealed that different wave conditions notably influenced the damping coefficient.