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From TPL assessment to design optimization: Wave energy converter control co-design applied to the RM3

Author

Listed:
  • Gaebele, Daniel T.
  • Anderson, Megan L.
  • Roach, Aeron L.
  • Forbush, Dominic D.
  • Roberts, Jesse D.
  • Weber, Jochem

Abstract

The Reference Model (RM) project developed six marine energy converter concepts using a sequential design methodology, which, while widely adopted in the industry, often overlooks interactions between system components, resulting in suboptimal designs. One such example is the Reference Model 3 (RM3), a two-body point absorber wave energy converter (WEC). An assessment using the Technology Performance Level (TPL) revealed that RM3’s low power-to-cost ratio, partly due to expensive steel construction, limits its techno-economic performance. This study aims to redesign RM3 by reducing its scale and employing control co-design to integrate WEC and Power Take-Off (PTO) dynamics, constraints, and cost considerations within an optimization framework. We demonstrate the limitations of RM3’s current PTO design and explore the benefits of scaling down to enhance techno-economic viability by lowering material costs. Using WecOptTool, we conduct a parameter sweep over gear ratios and spring stiffnesses for various Commercial Off-The-Shelf generators in irregular wave conditions. Our findings emphasize the importance of aligning PTO components with WEC dynamics, showing that control co-design and strategic scaling can improve RM3’s power-to-cost ratio. This study presents a transferable example of applied control co-design for other WECs, supporting early-stage developers in their design decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaebele, Daniel T. & Anderson, Megan L. & Roach, Aeron L. & Forbush, Dominic D. & Roberts, Jesse D. & Weber, Jochem, 2025. "From TPL assessment to design optimization: Wave energy converter control co-design applied to the RM3," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:241:y:2025:i:c:s0960148124024066
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.122338
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yang, Lisheng & Huang, Jianuo & Mi, Jia & Hajj, Muhammad & Bacelli, Giorgio & Zuo, Lei, 2024. "Control-inspired design and power optimization of an active mechanical motion rectifier based power takeoff for wave energy converters," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    2. Grasberger, Jeff & Yang, Lisheng & Bacelli, Giorgio & Zuo, Lei, 2024. "Control co-design and optimization of oscillating-surge wave energy converter," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    3. Amélie Têtu & Francesco Ferri & Morten Bech Kramer & Jørgen Hals Todalshaug, 2018. "Physical and Mathematical Modeling of a Wave Energy Converter Equipped with a Negative Spring Mechanism for Phase Control," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-23, September.
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