Torus-Shaped Wave Energy Converter Attached to a Hinged Arm

Abstract

Abstract This study presents the adaptation of a torus-shaped prime mover of a wave energy converter to an onshore or nearshore fixed platform by a hinged arm, with the objective of providing more favorable conditions for device survivability at extreme sea state. An optimization code is developed to obtain the best prime mover and arm geometries, as well as the power take-off parameters, with the objective to maximize the total absorbed power. In this paper, the power take-off system is modeled as a simplified damper and spring system, where the parameters are optimized for the power absorption of the wave energy converter in each sea state, whereas the optimization process is performed with a genetic algorithm. The results indicate that better survivability performance may be achieved with the torus-shaped prime mover in comparison to a conventional one without a moonpool, despite a relatively lower wave-absorbed power.