A Seamless Integration of Communications, Networks, Distributed and Hierarchical Control for Reliable Conversion of Ocean Wave Energy to Electricity

太阳辐射产生风，当风吹过海洋表面时，就会产生波浪。这些波可以传播很远的距离，而能量损失很小。最重要的是，这些波浪是一种清洁能源，随时可以使用适当的波能转换器(如振荡水柱转换器)进行收集。目前，大多数海浪能量转换项目涉及单波能量转换器的设计、开发和测试。本研究项目提出了大型波能转换园区的愿景，该园区能够产生大型发电厂的电力。为了实现这一目标，可以将波能换流站设计成一个具有波内换能器通信、监控全局控制和有源局部控制的大型智能系统，以最大限度地利用清洁电能。应用这里提出的想法的主要好处是显著提高全年的电力生产率。事实上，研究项目中提出的流体动力主动控制可以使年能量转换效率提高1.5~2.8倍。大多数波能转换器是通过振荡运动来吸收能量的，这种振荡运动产生的波浪对输入的波浪产生建设性和/或破坏性的干扰。具有固定几何和质量的波能转换器具有一个自然周期，当自然周期与波浪周期一致时，即共振时，从海洋中吸收的能量最大。当情况并非如此时，无源波能转换器的自然响应不是最佳的。这意味着，除了自然运动之外，还有一种可能的运动会吸收更多的能量。具体地说，对于正弦波和振荡，存在波能转换器使用最优控制可以匹配的自然响应的最优值和幅值。因此，可以设计出一次转换系统的最优主动控制，从而使发电量最大化。从本质上讲，主动控制所能做的就是有目的地利用机械来改变波浪作用于波能转换器时所感受到的动力阻力和机械电抗。因此，拟议的研究将开发新的主动控制技术，利用部署在波能公园的传感器网络和其他来源(如国家数据浮标中心)收集的局部和全球波浪气候信息，将波能转换器的运动修改为接近其中一个或两个参数。

Solar radiation produces wind which, when it blows over the ocean surface, generates waves. These waves can travel very long distances with little energy loss. Most importantly, these waves are a source of clean energy readily available for harvesting using appropriate wave energy converters such as oscillating water column converters. Currently, most ocean wave energy conversion projects deal with design, development and testing of single wave energy converters. This research project proposes a vision of a large-scale wave energy conversion park which is capable of generating the electrical power of a large power generating plant. To achieve this goal, a wave energy converter park can be designed as a large intelligent system with intra wave energy converters communication, supervisory global control, and active local control to maximize clean electrical energy generation. The main benefit from the application of the ideas herein proposed is a significant increase in year-round electricity productivity. In fact, it can be shown that hydrodynamic active control as proposed in this research project could increase annual energy conversion productivity by a factor in the range of 1.5 to 2.8.Most wave energy converters absorb energy by means of an oscillatory motion that makes waves which constructively and/or destructively interfere with the incoming waves. A wave energy converter with fixed geometry and mass possesses a natural period, and it is known that the energy absorption from the sea is largest when the natural period agrees with the wave period, namely at resonance. When this is not the case, a passive wave energy converter has a natural response that is not optimal. This means that there is a possible motion other than the natural one that would absorb more energy. Specifically, in terms of sinusoidal waves and oscillations, there exist optimal values of phase and amplitude of the natural response which could be matched by the wave energy converter using optimal control. Hence, an optimal active control of the primary conversion system can be devised so that the electricity production can be maximized. In essence, what active control can do is to use the machinery in a purposeful way to change the dynamical resistance and mechanical reactance felt by the waves when they act upon the wave energy converter. Therefore, the proposed research will develop new active control techniques which will modify the motion of a wave energy converter closer to one or both of these parameters using both local and global wave climate information gathered by a network of sensors deployed on the wave energy park and other sources such as National Data Buoy Center.