Technological Cost-Reduction Pathways for Point Absorber Wave Energy Converters in the Marine Hydrokinetic Environment.

Abstract

This report considers and prioritizes the potential technical cost-reduction pathways for offshore point absorber wave energy converters designed for ocean resources. This report focuses on cost-reduction pathways related to the device technology rather than environmental monitoring or permitting opportunities. Three sources of information were used to understand current cost drivers and develop a prioritized list of potential cost-reduction pathways: a literature review of technical work related to offshore wave activated body point absorbers, a reference device that was developed through the DOE Reference Model project, and a webinar with each of four industry device developers. Data from these information sources were aggregated and prioritized with respect to the potential impact on the lifetime levelized cost of energy, the potential for progress, the potential for success, and the confidence in success. Results indicated the four most promising cost-reduction pathways include advanced controls, optimized structural design, improved power conversion, and optimized device profile. 4

Hull geometry optimisation of wave energy converters: On the choice of the optimisation algorithm and the geometry definition

“…From previous studies, it is known that one of the largest cost reduction potentials is associated with the Wave Energy Converter (WEC) structure, i.e. the hull [5,6]. Apart from the high capital expenditure associated with the device hull, the geometry of the hull is crucial for the device hydrodynamics, and thus for the annual energy production.…”

Integration of Wave Power Farms into Power Systems of the Adriatic Islands: Technical Possibilities and Cross-Cutting Aspects

“…There are many ways to tackle reliability concerns, since they exist in each of the following subsystems of a WEC device-structure, power conversion, mooring and grid connection components. System reliability directly effects the performance of planned and unplanned maintenance and the availability of the device to make power [56].…”

“…Maintenance can either be performed in situ or the device can be disconnected from electrical and mooring infrastructure, towed back to a sheltered site and serviced there. Execution of maintenance is dependent upon weather windows, distance from port, vessel requirements, availability of replacement parts and predicted failure rates [56].…”

Control Strategies Applied to Wave Energy Converters: State of the Art

“…Despite the great number of different technologies for harvesting wave energy, all of them can generally be categorized on the basis of three criteria [18][19][20][21].…”

“…In this section, a brief introduction for each of the different PTO technologies, as presented in [18,[25][26][27], is given. Three main technology paths can be applied to obtain electricity from the wave power conversion chain (PCC), converting the energy being carried by the wave into fluid capture, linear motion or rotary motion.…”