The scope of this project is to research and develop new advanced simulation techniques for wave energy converters (WECs) which can be argued to be the world’s largest untapped source of energy.
When developing and designing WECs, requirements on in-depth and detailed analyses are needed to ensure a safe, well-functioning, and long-term sustainable result.
Broadly speaking can these requirements be met by:
- Field testing of existing/prototype full-scale structures
- Laboratory testing of model-scale structures in large wave flumes
- Numerical testing by utilizing so-called numerical computer models.
The caveat of the former two principles is primarily in terms of time and cost: imagine the expenses when changing the design of a WEC!
This caveat can be solved – to a large extent – by “simply” pressing a bottom on a computer when considering numerical computer models. Hereby enabling much faster possibilities for prototyping of WEC design etc.
With this project, we seek to tap into and combining topics such as: mathematical and numerical modeling, model predictive control, reduced order modeling, wave hydrodynamics, and much more.
From the project, we seek to contribute - in a state-of-the-art fashion - to the field of WEC simulation by posing new techniques for optimization of design and power production. With the added knowledge from this PhD project, WECs will be much more prone to mature, thus – effectively – enabling the utilization of wave energy to reduce CO2 emission.
Main supervisor:
Allan Peter Engsig-Karup (DTU Compute)
Co- supervisor:
Harry Bingham (DTU Construct)
John Bagterp Jørgensen (DTU Compute)