Multi-Objective Shape Optimization of Multi-Axis Wave Energy Converter

Abstract

Wave power is amongst the most promising forms of renewable energy, with a potential of 337 GW globally, compared to other renewable sources such as wind and solar; however, wave energy technologies are not completely. This necessitates the optimal design of wave energy converters (WECs) to commercialize these technologies. To this end, several optimization techniques have recently been developed, which the effectiveness of the state-of-the-art evolutionary algorithms has not been compared or contrasted for WECs. A new and innovative WEC type with respect to two body point absorbers with multi-axis motion, i.e., surge, heave, and pitch, has been considered with respect to different geometry. This paper presents a framework for the shape design of WECs utilizing multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) in response to two main objective functions, i.e., maximization of power output and minimization of construction cost. Finally, the