About

Wave energy has a high potential for being a significant source of renewable energy. The cost of energy is however still large compared to e.g. offshore wind. By controlling the motion of the wave energy converter (WEC), the power production can be significantly increased (more than 100%). However, advanced control strategies require future information on individual incoming waves to be efficient and are thus not used in practical applications. This pre-study aims to investigate the use of affordable and efficient radar technology (as used in the automotive industry) to provide future wave information. By combining

  • Wave radar
  • Motion measurement of the WEC, and
  • A machine learning algorithm, the forces acting on the WEC can be forecasted in real-time thus facilitating the use of control strategies.

The project members incorporate the entire value chain: a radar supplier (Rosemount), a radar software specialist (SafeRadar), RISE and two wave energy technology developers, Corpower and Oceanharvesting. The project is co-financed by the Swedish Energy Agency (SWEA).

Co-financed by

Swedish Energy Agency

Contact

Johannes Hüffmeier, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden