Method of controlling a wave energy conversion system maximizing the power output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10601352-B2
Application number	US-201515301239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Apr 1, 2014
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

The invention is an improved wave energy conversion system ( 1, 2 ) including a model predictive control method for an energy conversion machine ( 1 ) that maximizes the power output by accounting for the energy conversion efficiency and prediction of a wave ( 3 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a wave energy conversion system that converts energy of waves into electrical or hydraulic energy comprising a mobile system cooperating with an electric machine or a hydraulic machine, the mobile system having an oscillating motion with respect to the electric machine or the hydraulic machine comprising:
a) constructing a dynamic model of the wave energy conversion system relating velocity of the mobile system to a force exerted by the waves on the mobile system and to force exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system;
b) constructing a wave energy model of the wave energy conversion system relating average power generated by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine to the force exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system to the velocity of the mobile system and to energy conversion efficiency of the wave energy conversion system, the wave energy model accounts for conversion efficiency from mechanical energy into electrical or hydraulic energy with the wave energy model being expressed as a formula

P
m

⁢
c

=

-

1
T

⁢

∫

t
=
0

T

⁢

η
⁢

⁢
uvdt

,

with P m c being average power output, t being time, T being a predetermined duration, η being energy conversion efficiency, u being force exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system and v being velocity of the mobile system in relation to the electric machine or the hydraulic machine;
c) predicting a force exerted by waves on the mobile system for a predetermined time period;
d) determining a control value of a force exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system which maximizes the average power generated by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine by use of the predicted force exerted by the waves on the mobile system of the dynamic model of the wave energy conversion system and on the wave energy model of the wave energy conversion system; and
e) controlling the electric machine or the hydraulic machine with the control value.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the force exerted by the waves on the mobile system is predicted by at least one of a measurement and an estimation of the force exerted by the waves on the mobile system using a set of pressure detectors associated with the mobile system associated with force sensors between the mobile system and the electric machine or the hydraulic machine.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the force exerted by the waves on the mobile system is predicted by measurement of waves upstream from the wave energy conversion system.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the dynamic model of the wave energy conversion system is constructed using a model of dynamics of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine and of a model of a mechanical part and a hydrodynamic part of the wave energy conversion system.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the dynamic model of the wave energy conversion system is constructed using a model of dynamics of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine and of a model of a mechanical part and a hydrodynamic part of the wave energy conversion system.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the dynamic model of the wave energy conversion system is constructed using a model of dynamics of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine and of a model of a mechanical part and a hydrodynamic part of the wave energy conversion system.

7. A method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the dynamic model of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine is expressed with equations: x a =A a c x a +B a c u c and u=C a c x a , and the model of the mechanical part and the hydrodynamic part as: x s =A s c x s +B s c (w−u) and v=C s c x s , with x a being a state vector of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine, x s being a state vector of the mechanical part and the hydrodynamic part, A a c , B a c , C a c , A s c , B s c and C s c being dynamic matrices, inputs, outputs of a dynamic model of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine and of a mechanical part and a hydrodynamic part, u c being the control of the force exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system, w being control of the force exerted by the waves on the mobile system, u being exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system and v being velocity of the mobile system in relation to the electric machine or the hydraulic machine.

8. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the dynamic model of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine is expressed with equations: x a =A a c x a +B a c u c and u=C a c x a , and the model of a mechanical part and a hydrodynamic part as: x s =A s c x s +B s c (w−u) and v=C s c x s , with x a being a state vector of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine, x s being a state vector of the mechanical part and the hydrodynamic part, A a c , B a c , C a c , A s c , B s c and C s c being dynamic matrices, inputs, outputs of a dynamic model of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine and of a mechanical part and a hydrodynamic part, u c being the control of the force exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system, w being control of the force exerted by the waves on the mobile system, u being exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system and v being velocity of the mobile system in relation to the electric machine or the hydraulic machine.

9. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the dynamic model of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine is expressed with equations: x a =A a c x a +B a c u c and u=C a c x a , and the model of a mechanical part and a hydrodynamic part as: x s =A s c x s +B s c (w−u) and v=C s c x s , with x a being a state vector of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine, x s being a state vector of the mechanical part and the hydrodynamic part, A a c , B a c , C a c , A s c , B s c and C s c being the dynamic matrices, inputs, outputs of a dynamic model of the electric machine or the hydraulic machine and of a mechanical part and a hydrodynamic part, u c being the control of the force exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system, w being control of the force exerted by the waves on the mobile system, u being exerted by the electric machine or the hydraulic machine on the mobile system and v being velocity of the mobile system in relation to the electric machine or the hydra

Assignees

• Ifp Energies Now

Inventors

• Saupe Florian
• Creff Yann

Classifications

• F05B2270/1033

  Power (if explicitly mentioned) · CPC title

• F03B13/1845

  and the wom slides relative to the rem · CPC title

• F05B2270/404

  active, predictive, or anticipative · CPC title

• F05B2260/84

  Modelling or simulation · CPC title

• F03B15/00

  Controlling (controlling in general G05 {; regulation of plants characterised by the use of siphons F03B13/086}) · CPC title