Wave energy converter power take-off system scaling and physical modelling

Abstract

Absorbing wave power from oceans for producing a usable form of energy represents an attractive challenge, which for the most part concerns the development and integration, in a wave energy device, of a reliable, efficient and cost-effective power take-off mechanism. During the various stages of progress, for assessing a wave energy device, it is convenient to carry out experimental testing that, opportunely, takes into account the realistic behaviour of the power take-off mechanism at a small scale. To successfully replicate and assess the power take-off, good practices need to be implemented aiming to correctly scale and evaluate the power take-off mechanism and its behaviour. The present paper aims to explore and propose solutions that can be applied for reproducing and assessing the power take-off element during experimental studies, namely experimental set-ups enhancements, calibration practices, and error estimation methods. A series of recommendations on how to practically organize and carry out experiments were identified and three case studies are briefly covered. It was found that, despite specific options that can be strictly technology-dependent, various recommendations could be universally applicable.