Advanced Control Systems for Wave Energy Converters
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This submission contains several papers, a final report, descriptions of a theoretical framework for two types of control systems, and descriptions of eight real-time flap load control policies with the objective of assessing the potential improvement of annual average capture efficiency at a reference site on an MHK device developed by Resolute Marine Energy, Inc. (RME). The submission also contains an LCOE model that estimates the performance and related energy cost improvements that each advanced control system might provide and recommendations for improving DOE's LCOE model. The two types of control systems are for wave energy converters which transform data into commands that, in the case of RME's OWSC wave energy converter, provide real-time adjustments to damping forces applied to the prime mover via the power take-off system (PTO). The control theories developed were: 1) Model Predictive Control (MPC) or so-called "non-causal" control whereby sensors deployed seaward of a wave energy converter measure incoming wave characteristics and transmit that information to a data processor which issues commands to the PTO to adjust the damping force to an optimal value; and 2) "Causal" control which utilizes local sensors on the wave energy converter itself to transmit information to a data processor which then issues appropriate commands to the PTO. The two advanced control policies developed by Scruggs and Re Vision were then compared to a simple control policy, Coulomb damping, which was utilized by RME during the two rounds of ocean trials it had conducted prior to the commencement of this project. The project work plan initially included a provision for RME to conduct hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing of the data processors and configurations of valves, sensors and rectifiers needed to implement the two advanced control systems developed by Scruggs and Re Vision Consulting but the funding for that aspect of the project was cut at the conclusion of Budget Period 1. Accordingly, more work needs to be done to determine: a) means and feasibility of implementing real-time control; and b) added costs associated with such implementation taking into account estimated effects on system availability in addition to component costs.
Techno-Economic Analysis of AquaHarmonics Wave Energy Converter Using SAM: Baseline and Optimized LCOE Estimates
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This dataset presents techno-economic modeling results for the AquaHarmonics Wave Energy Converter (WEC), analyzing both baseline and optimized system configurations using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's System Advisor Model (SAM). The models incorporate empirical performance data and simulate deployment at the PacWave South test site off the coast of Newport, Oregon. Included are SAM-generated reports and a project file detailing device and array specifications, energy production estimates, capital and operational costs, and resulting Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) calculations. The data provides comparative insights into design improvements and their impact on system performance and cost. SAM software is required to view and interact with the project file, and can be downloaded via the attached link.
Reports on Wave and Tidal Energy Cost Reduction and Performance Improvement Opportunities
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This submission contains two resources developed by Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. in 2025 for the U.S. Department of Energy/Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). The study identifies near-term opportunities to reduce costs and improve performance in wave and tidal current energy systems. Conducted in 2025, the work combines a literature review with insights from approximately 140 publicly available resources and 13 subject matter experts from five national and international organizations, to develop and recommend four potential approaches to advance marine energy technologies. The analysis focuses on the primary cost and performance drivers for marine energy technologies including power, structural design and device profile, anchoring and mooring, operations and maintenance, and array design, and uses DOE's standardized cost breakdown structure to assess their impact on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). The material presented in the final report and presentation are intended to clarify, guide, and inform the research and development (R&D) of commercially viable marine energy systems.
TEAMER: Experimental Characterization of a Laboratory-Scaled Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter
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This data is a result of an experimental campaign to characterize the hydrodynamics and performance of a laboratory-scale oscillating surge wave energy converter (OSWEC). The device was 85 cm wide, 1.4 meters tall, and 14 cm thick and was tested in the Sea Wave Environmental Lab (SWEL) wave tank at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory which is 2.5 meters wide with a water depth of 1.3 meters. The device included fifteen pressure sensors on the flap face, two 6-axis load cells at the hinge, an encoder to measure flap position, and a motor to emulate a PTO and absorb power. We provide a full summary of the device and experiments in the TEAMER Post-Access Report titled "Optimal control of an oscillating surge wave energy converter". This DropBox directory contains data from four types of experiments: 1. Buoyancy Tests - We measure the torque required to hold the flap at different angles to characterize buoyancy torque as a function of position. 2. Locked Flap (Excitation) Tests - We measure the torque on a locked flap subject to different wave parameters to extract the excitation torque coefficient. 3. Forced Oscillation (Radiation) Tests - We force the flap to oscillate at different periods and amplitudes to extract added inertia and radiation damping coefficients. 4. Control Tests - We subject the flap to different waves and use a linear damping controller to emulate a PTO and extract absorbed power and capture width ratio (CWR) as a function of wave and control parameters. This data set includes raw and processed time series data from the encoder and load cells, as well as calculated hydrodynamic and performance parameters from the tests. We include a README document as well as a spreadsheet with individual test details as a reference. Funding for this experimental campaign was provided by the TEAMER Program under RFTS 10 and was a collaboration between the University of Washington and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Reference Model 5 Cost Breakdown (RM5: Oscillating Surge Flap)
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Contains the Reference Model 5 (RM5) spreadsheets with the cost breakdown structure (CBS) for the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculations for a single RM5 device and multiple unit arrays. These spreadsheets are contained within an XLSX file and a spreadsheet editor such as Microsoft Excel is needed to open the file. This data was generated upon completion of the project on September 30, 2014. The Reference Model Project (RMP), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), was a partnered effort to develop open-source MHK point designs as reference models (RMs) to benchmark MHK technology performance and costs, and an open-source methodology for design and analysis of MHK technologies, including models for estimating their capital costs, operational costs, and levelized costs of energy. The point designs also served as open-source test articles for university researchers and commercial technology developers. The RMP project team, led by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), included a partnership between DOE, three national laboratories, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Applied Research Laboratory of Penn State University, and Re Vision Consulting. Reference Model 5 (RM5) is a type of floating, oscillating surge wave energy converter (OSWEC) that utilizes the surge motion of waves to generate electrical power. The reference wave energy resource for RM5 was measurement data from a National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoy near Eureka, in Humboldt County, California. The flap was designed to rotate against the supporting frame to convert wave energy into electrical power from the relative rotational motion induced by incoming waves. The RM5 design is rated at 360 kilowatts (kW), uses a flap of 25 m in width and 19 m in height (16 m in draft), and the distance from the top of the water surface piercing flap to the mean water surface (freeboard) is 1.5 m. The flap is connected to a shaft with a 3-m diameter that rotates against the supporting frame. The supporting frame is assumed to have an outer diameter of 2 m, and the total length of the device structure is 45 m. The RM5 OSWEC was designed for deep-water deployment, at depths between 50 m and 100 m, and was tension-moored to the seabed.
Centipod WEC, Survivable Wave Energy Converters, Final Technical Report
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This project shows that the choice of a secondary DOF for survivability is a viable option to reduce the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in WEC designs. This report will cover the calculation of the concluded LCOE advantage using Dehlsen Associates’ “Centipod” WEC, but will also discuss the entire project from start to finish, including mid and high-fidelity modeling, survival mode trade study, wave basin testing, and design tool cross-verification and validation.