Over the last two decades, researchers have primarily focused on developing control technology to create more effective controllers, designed to manipulate the motion of Wave energy converters (WECs) aggressively, aiming to maximise their energy-harvesting capacity in an effort to minimise levelised cost of energy (LCoE). However, exaggerated WEC motion can, in the harsh ocean environment, lead to significant decreases in maintenance intervals and system reliability, leading to increases in operational costs (OpEx). The essence of the health-sensitive control problem is finding a suitable trade-off between maximising energy and minimising maintenance costs, by modulating the control law, assuming a fixed amount of capital costs (CapEx).
This new paper, in Elsevier’s Ocean Engineering by Amin Ziaei, Ahsan Said and John Ringwood, and supported by MaREI and the Science Foundation Ireland-funded Seachange Project, aims to define the health-sensitive control problem for WECs by reviewing current advancements in longevity analysis within the wave energy application area, as well as other pertinent areas. The obstacles and opportunities for future research is also covered.
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Please find the paper here.