Comparison of control strategies for Peltonturbines in Wave Energy Converters
Abstract: Wave energy is a promising renewable resource with a higher energy density than both wind and solar. Waves can travel thousands of kilometers with minimal energy loss, making them more reliable than the previously mentioned alternatives. A device that utilizes wave energy to generate electricity is calleda Wave Energy Converter. The converter studied in this thesis is a non-resonant point absorber, a floating device that absorbs energy through its displacement in the water. An incident wave approaching the converter combined with a latching strategy transforms the wave into a water jet, which emerges as a pulse wave and varies from zero to maximum velocity. The kinetic energy of the water jet gets converted to electricity through a Pelton turbine and a permanent magnet synchronous motor that acts as a generator. The thesis investigates three generator velocity control strategies and two deadtime strategies and aims to answer which strategy yields the best efficiency for the selected wave fields. The strategies strive to maximize the efficiency of the Pelton turbine while minimizing the frictional and electrical losses. The first velocity control approach relies on historical data and computes the average based on the previous wavefield. The second approach maintains a predetermined turbine velocity based on the average jet velocity of each incident wave. Lastly, the third strategy continuously adapts the speed during each jet pulse to maximize the Pelton turbine efficiency. The dead-time strategies refer to the approaches employed between waves. The first approach maintainsa constant generator velocity, reducing the necessary acceleration to match the next incident wave. The second approach freewheels the generator, allowing it to decelerate due to friction losses. During the deceleration, the generator draws no current, but as the next wave arrives it must instead accelerate. Consequently, drawing more current but during a shorter period. The results reveal that there is no significant difference between the two deadtime strategies, but there is a significant difference between the velocity control strategies. Furthermore, the results illustrate the effectiveness of the local averaging method and the adaptive control method, which result in the highest system efficiency.
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