Multi-resonant feedback control of multiple degree-of-freedom wave energy converters

Patent Number: 10,488,828
Issued: 11/26/2019
Official Filing: View the Complete Patent
Abstract: The control of heave pitch, and surge WECs is described in this disclosure. Depending on the buoy shape, some of these modes could be coupled in the dynamic model. The proposed multi-resonant control strategy finds the optimal control based on the complex conjugate criteria. This feedback control only requires only measurement of the buoy motion. Simulation results show that the proposed controller harvests energy in the pitch-surge-heave modes that is about 3x the energy that can be harvested using a heave only device. This controller can also be designed to shift the energy harvesting between the coupled mode to minimize the number of actuators while maintaining the same level of energy harvesting.
Application Number: 830,770/15
Government Interests: STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.