Evaluation of power generation capacity of wave energy converter with a controllable-valve buoy based on wave-to-grid modeling and control

• DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2024.118519
• Publication Date: 2024-07-02T18:55:37Z
• Authors: Guodong Fan; Weimin Wu; Hongsheng Zhang; Lin Cui; Frede Blaabjerg
• Keywords: Buoy; Power grid; Wave Power

The wave energy converter (WEC) with a controllable-valve buoy (CVB) can operate in a wide range of wave conditions by opening or closing the controllable-valve. In order to accurately evaluate its power generation capabilities under rough sea conditions, a model of the entire process from waves to power grid was developed in the MATLAB/Simulink-User Datagram Protocol (UDP)-FLUENT collaborative simulation system (MUF-system) to facilitate wave energy power generation and grid connection control. The movement of the CVB in waves is simulated in a CFD-based numerical wave tank, and a direct-drive WEC is utilized to transform wave energy into electrical energy. The maximum electric power produced by the WEC is tracked using the impedance matching method on the machine side, and a proportional resonance controller is designed on the grid side to regulate the grid-connected inverter and ensure a stable power connection. This modeling approach accounts for the fluid viscosity effect and the coupling effect between the power-take off (PTO) system and the hydrodynamic characteristics of the float, resulting in improved simulation accuracy. The findings from the simulation demonstrate that the WEC with a CVB can consistently generate power and connect to the grid under rough sea conditions, indicating significant potential for further development and utilization.