Emulation and Control Methods for Direct Drive Linear Wave Energy Converters

This paper devises an electronic based emulator for tubular Direct Drive Linear Wave Energy Converter (DDLWEC). The emulator is able to output expected voltage sourced waveforms and include related impedances of a DDLWEC, which provides convenience and cost saving for testing various power conversion methods for the DDLWECs in a wide range of wave conditions. Two various ac/dc power conversion topologies have been developed to work in conjunction with a tubular DDLWEC, and their performances are tested by using the emulator. Both topologies are able to effectively handle the irregular electrical outputs from DDLWECs. The unidirectional ac/dc topology has advantage in cost saving. On the other hand, the H-Bridge topology can allow reversible energy flow and can slightly improve the power extraction from DDLWECs.