Abstract Wave energy is extracted from the motion of sea waves. The technologies to convert this energy into electricity have not yet reached maturity and there is no clear dominant design. In this work, a design methodology is proposed for a two-body Wave Energy Converter (WEC) with a novel configurable electromechanical Power-Take-Off (PTO) that allows setting its parameters for optimal power output according to wave conditions. A prototype has been modeled, designed and tested experimentally. It is intended for low power and energy self-sustainable applications, such as in telecommunications and data acquisition. This work addresses the modeling, optimal design, and parameter setting, to obtain maximum power output and efficiency for this class of WEC. A floating body is connected via the PTO to a submerged body in neutral buoyancy. If the PTO parameters are correctly set to match the external frequency of the waves, the system can operate close to resonance condition, which maximizes the generated power. Modeling a WEC can be extremely complex, so a linear mathematical model originally proposed by Falnes was adapted to find optimal PTO parameters for both regular and irregular waves. To validate the design model, tank tests were performed. Optimal PTO parameters in the WEC were determined experimentally. In the experiments, 16 cm high waves and 0.55 Hz of frequency were used to test multiple design parameters searching for optimal power output. Peaks of up to 20 W were generated with these waves. Extrapolating the experimental results, output power in the range of 400–600 W and an efficiency of 48.3% can be expected for 1 m high waves. The design model gives an acceptable prediction for the amplitude of the relative motion between bodies, the optimum damping coefficient of the PTO ( c ^ pto ), and the maximum generated power. The design model also makes a good prediction for the optimum stiffness coefficient ( k ^ pto ) for smaller values of the mass of the submerged body.

中文翻译：

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功率输出参数可调的双体波能转换器的设计优化和实验验证

摘要 波浪能是从海浪的运动中提取出来的。将这种能量转化为电能的技术尚未成熟，也没有明确的主导设计。在这项工作中，提出了一种双体波能转换器 (WEC) 的设计方法，该方法具有新颖的可配置机电功率输出 (PTO)，允许根据波浪条件设置其参数以获得最佳功率输出。已经对原型进行了建模、设计和实验测试。它适用于低功率和能源的自给自足应用，例如电信和数据采集。这项工作涉及建模、优化设计和参数设置，以获得此类 WEC 的最大功率输出和效率。浮体通过 PTO 连接到处于中性浮力的水下体。如果 PTO 参数设置正确以匹配波的外部频率，系统可以在接近谐振条件下运行，从而最大化产生的功率。对 WEC 建模可能非常复杂，因此最初由 Falnes 提出的线性数学模型适用于为规则和不规则波找到最佳 PTO 参数。为了验证设计模型，进行了水槽试验。WEC 中的最佳取力器参数是通过实验确定的。在实验中，使用 16 厘米高的波和 0.55 Hz 的频率来测试多个设计参数，以寻找最佳功率输出。这些波产生了高达 20 W 的峰值。推断实验结果，对于 1 m 高的波浪，可以预期输出功率在 400-600 W 范围内，效率为 48.3%。设计模型对物体之间的相对运动幅度、取力器的最佳阻尼系数 (c^pto) 和最大发电功率给出了可接受的预测。该设计模型还对较小的水下体质量值的最佳刚度系数 (k ^ pto ) 做出了很好的预测。