Reliability assessment of point-absorber wave energy converters
Reliability assessment of point-absorber wave energy converters
复制标题
点吸收式波浪能转换器的可靠性评估
DOI：
10.1016/j.oceaneng.2018.05.048
复制
发表时间：
2018-09
影响因子：
5
通讯作者：
A. Kolios;Loris Francesco Di Maio;Lin Wang;L. Cui;Qi-hu Sheng
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
A. Kolios;Loris Francesco Di Maio;Lin Wang;L. Cui;Qi-hu Sheng
海浪能是一种清洁、取之不尽、用之不竭的能源，可为全球提供2 太瓦以上的能源供应。在所有可用的波能转换技术中，点吸收器是当今最有前途的解决方案之一，因为它易于制造和安装。点吸收波能转换器（WECs）的漂浮物通常暴露在恶劣的海洋环境中，环境载荷具有很大的不确定性，这给其可靠性评估带来了很大的挑战。本文针对点式吸收器浮子开发了一种结合参数化有限元分析（FEA）建模、响应面建模和可靠性分析的可靠性评估框架。本文还建立了点吸波器的解析模型，用以计算波浪荷载并验证所建立的有限元模型。通过一系列仿真验证后，将可靠性评估框架应用于NOTC（国家海洋技术中心）10 kW多点吸收器WEC，在考虑疲劳极限状态（FLS）的情况下，对浮子的可靠性进行评估。在可靠性评估的基础上对关键设计部件进行优化，以实现目标可靠性。结果表明：在所考虑的条件下，WEC浮子在其名义使用寿命结束前容易发生疲劳失效。结果表明，本文所建立的可靠性评估框架能够准确地评估钢结构的可靠性，并在可靠性的基础上对钢结构进行优化。
Ocean wave energy is a clean and inexhaustible energy resource, capable of providing more than 2 TW of energy supply worldwide. Among all the technologies available to convert wave energy, the point-absorber is one of the most promising solutions today, due to its ease of both fabrication and installation. The floaters of point-absorber WECs (wave energy converters) are generally exposed to harsh marine environments with great uncertainties in environmental loads, which make their reliability assessment quite challenging. In this work, a reliability assessment framework, which combines parametric finite element analysis (FEA) modelling, response surface modelling and reliability analysis, has been developed specifically for the floater of point-absorber WECs. An analytical model of point-absorber WECs is also developed in this work to calculate wave loads and to validate the developed FEA model. After the validation through a series of simulations, the reliability assessment framework has been applied to the NOTC (National Ocean Technology Centre) 10 kW multiple-point-absorber WEC to assess the reliability of the floater, considering the fatigue limit state (FLS). Optimisation of key design components is also performed based on reliability assessment in order to achieve target reliability. The results show that for the considered conditions, the WEC floater is prone to experience fatigue failure before the end of their nominal service life. It is demonstrated that the reliability assessment framework developed in this work is capable of accurately assessing the reliability of WECs and optimising the structure on the basis of reliability.