Waves can provide a reliable source of renewable energy compared to the solar and wind sources. There is a wide variety of wave energy extraction concepts depending on the mechanism of absorbing energy from the waves, on the water depth, and on the location (shoreline, near-shore, offshore). The energy extraction concepts can be categorized in three categories: oscillating water column devices, oscillating body systems, and overtopping converters. The class of oscillating body systems includes single-body heaving buoys, two-body heaving systems, fully submerged heaving systems, and pitching devices.
In this group, we investigate modelling and control of Wave Energy Converters (WECs). The research interests spans a wide range of problems in optimal control of 1-DoF and multi-DoF WECs, Control of WEC arrays, Optimization of WEC shape design, Optimization of arrays of WECs, and nonlinear control of WECs.
Below are sample simulations from our recent work on variable-shape ocean wave energy converters.
Flexible Wave Energy Converters (WECs)
Energy harvested (E) using a variable-Geometry WEC (red) versus energy harvested using a fixed shape WEC (blue)
High Fidelity Numerical Simulation For Variable-Shape (Flexible) Wave Energy Converters
Case 1: Simulation of a flexible (rubber) sphere in a wave field
High Fidelity Simulations Video Download: Flex01
Closer look at the sphere deformation:
Case 2: Simulation of a very soft (Neoprene Rubber) sphere in a wave field
Experiment in The Buoyancy Tank
