Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network

Infrastructure Access Report

Infrastructure: TECNALIA Electrical PTO Lab
User-Project: SPOWCON

Spar OWC CONtrol

IDMEC/IST and Kymaner

Status:
Version:
Date:

Final
28-Feb-2014
EC FP7 Capacities Specific Programme
Research Infrastructure Action

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

ABOUT MARINET
MARINET (Marine Renewables Infrastructure Network for emerging Energy Technologies) is an EC-funded network
of research centres and organisations that are working together to accelerate the development of marine renewable
energy - wave, tidal & offshore-wind. The initiative is funded through the EC's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7)
and runs for four years until 2015. The network of 29 partners with 42 specialist marine research facilities is spread
across 11 EU countries and 1 International Cooperation Partner Country (Brazil).
MARINET offers periods of free-of-charge access to test facilities at a range of world-class research centres.
Companies and research groups can avail of this Transnational Access (TA) to test devices at any scale in areas such
as wave energy, tidal energy, offshore-wind energy and environmental data or to conduct tests on cross-cutting
areas such as power take-off systems, grid integration, materials or moorings. In total, over 700 weeks of access is
available to an estimated 300 projects and 800 external users, with at least four calls for access applications over the
4-year initiative.
MARINET partners are also working to implement common standards for testing in order to streamline the
development process, conducting research to improve testing capabilities across the network, providing training at
various facilities in the network in order to enhance personnel expertise and organising industry networking events
in order to facilitate partnerships and knowledge exchange.
The aim of the initiative is to streamline the capabilities of test infrastructures in order to enhance their impact and
accelerate the commercialisation of marine renewable energy. See www.fp7-marinet.eu for more details.

Partners
Ireland
University College Cork, HMRC (UCC_HMRC)
Coordinator
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI_OEDU)
Denmark
Aalborg Universitet (AAU)
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (RISOE)

Netherlands
Stichting Tidal Testing Centre (TTC)
Stichting Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland
(ECNeth)
Germany
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der
Angewandten Forschung E.V (Fh_IWES)
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitt Hannover (LUH)

France
Ecole Centrale de Nantes (ECN)
InstitutFranais de Recherche Pour l'Exploitation de la
Mer (IFREMER)
United Kingdom
National Renewable Energy Centre Ltd. (NAREC)
The University of Exeter (UNEXE)
European Marine Energy Centre Ltd. (EMEC)
University of Strathclyde (UNI_STRATH)
The University of Edinburgh (UEDIN)
Queens University Belfast (QUB)
Plymouth University(PU)
Spain
Ente Vasco de la Energa (EVE)
Tecnalia Research & Innovation Foundation
(TECNALIA)

Universitaet Stuttgart (USTUTT)

Portugal
Wave Energy Centre Centro de Energia das Ondas
(WavEC)
Italy
Universitdegli Studi di Firenze (UNIFI-CRIACIV)
Universitdegli Studi di Firenze (UNIFI-PIN)
Universit degli Studi della Tuscia (UNI_TUS)
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-INSEAN)
Brazil
Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnolgicas do Estado de So
Paulo S.A. (IPT)
Norway
Sintef Energi AS (SINTEF)
Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet
(NTNU)

Belgium
1-Tech (1_TECH)

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 2 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

DOCUMENT INFORMATION
Title
Distribution
Document Reference
User-Group Leader,
Lead Author
User-Group Members,
Contributing Authors
Infrastructure
Accessed:
Infrastructure Manager
(or Main Contact)

Spar OWC CONtrol

Public
MARINET-TA1-SPOWCON
Lus Gato
IDMEC/Instituto Superior Tcnico
Av. Rovisco Pais 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Antonio Falco
Joo Henriques
Rui Gomes
Pedro Vicente
Jos Varandas

IDMEC/Instituto Superior Tcnico

IDMEC/Instituto Superior Tcnico
IDMEC/Instituto Superior Tcnico
IDMEC/Instituto Superior Tcnico
Kymaner

TECNALIA Electrical PTO Lab

Eider Robles Sestafe

REVISION HISTORY
Rev.

Date

28-Feb-2014

Description

Prepared by (Name)
Joo Henriques/Rui Gomes

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 3 of 23

Approved By
Infrastructure
Manager

Status
(Draft/Final)

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

ABOUT THIS REPORT

One of the requirements of the EC in enabling a user group to benefit from free-of-charge access to an infrastructure
is that the user group must be entitled to disseminate the foreground (information and results) that they have
generated under the project in order to progress the state-of-the-art of the sector. Notwithstanding this, the EC also
state that dissemination activities shall be compatible with the protection of intellectual property rights,
confidentiality obligations and the legitimate interests of the owner(s) of the foreground.
The aim of this report is therefore to meet the first requirement of publicly disseminating the knowledge generated
through this MARINET infrastructure access project in an accessible format in order to:
progress the state-of-the-art
publicise resulting progress made for the technology/industry
provide evidence of progress made along the Structured Development Plan
provide due diligence material for potential future investment and financing
share lessons learned
avoid potential future replication by others
provide opportunities for future collaboration
etc.
In some cases, the user group may wish to protect some of this information which they deem commercially
sensitive, and so may choose to present results in a normalised (non-dimensional) format or withhold certain design
data this is acceptable and allowed for in the second requirement outlined above.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The work described in this publication has received support from MARINET, a European Community - Research
Infrastructure Action under the FP7 Capacities Specific Programme.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER
The views expressed, and responsibility for the content of this publication, lie solely with the authors. The European
Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. This work may rely on
data from sources external to the MARINET project Consortium. Members of the Consortium do not accept liability
for loss or damage suffered by any third party as a result of errors or inaccuracies in such data. The information in
this document is provided as is and no guarantee or warranty is given that the information is fit for any particular
purpose. The user thereof uses the information at its sole risk and neither the European Commission nor any
member of the MARINET Consortium is liable for any use that may be made of the information.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 4 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The present project concerns the development of the power take-off (PTO) control of an oscillating-water-column
(OWC) spar buoy, possibly the simplest concept for a floating wave energy converter (WEC). The OWC spar buoy is
an axisymmetric device (and so insensitive to wave direction) consisting basically of a (relatively long) submerged
vertical tail tube open at both ends, fixed to a floater that moves essentially in heave. The oscillating motion of the
internal free surface relative to the buoy, produced by the incident waves, makes the air flow through a radically
new concept of a self-rectifying air turbine: the biradial turbine. This new patented turbine is also being developed
and tested by IDMEC/IST and Kymaner. The turbine drives an electrical generator and the control of this set is the
subject of current tests that were performed at TECNALIA Electrical PTO Lab. To reduce the overall costs of the PTO
system, an electrical generator was adopted with a rated power twice the maximum expected average power
conversion of the buoy. This level of generator rated power poses great challenges for the PTO control due to the
irregular characteristics of the sea waves.
The main objective of the experimental work is the assessment of control strategies of the turbine/generator set.
The hydrodynamics of the OWC spar buoy and the aerodynamics of the air turbine are simulated in real time and
coupled with the experimental model of the turbine/generator set. The instantaneous air turbine torque is emulated
through the use of the electrical motor. In the present implementation, only irregular wave conditions were
considered.
The used hardware-in-the-loop simulator emulates in real-time the behaviour of the OWC spar buoyWEC. The
simulator and data logger runs on a computer with Matlab xPC target real-time operating system, which connects
the simulation model to the physical model. The simulation model input is the generator/motor (turbine) rotational
speed. The computed turbine torque is supplied to the frequencyvariator that drives the motor.
The experimental results allowed the characterization of the dynamic behaviour of the PTO, ensure the practical
applicability of the proposed control algorithms and provide a basis for the validation of the numerical models.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 5 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

CONTENTS
1

INTRODUCTION&BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 7
1.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................7
1.2 DEVELOPMENT SO FAR ..........................................................................................................................................8
1.2.1 Stage Gate Progress .................................................................................................................................... 8
1.2.2 Plan for This Access ................................................................................................................................... 10

OUTLINE OF WORK CARRIED OUT .................................................................................................................. 11

2.1 SETUP ...............................................................................................................................................................11
2.2 TESTS ...............................................................................................................................................................12
2.2.1 OWC Spar Buoy Configuration .................................................................................................................. 12
2.2.2 Power control laws .................................................................................................................................... 12
2.2.3 Test Plan .................................................................................................................................................... 14
2.3 ANALYSIS & CONCLUSIONS...................................................................................................................................18

MAIN LEARNING OUTCOMES ......................................................................................................................... 19

3.1 PROGRESS MADE ...............................................................................................................................................19
3.1.1 Progress Made: For This User-Group or Technology ................................................................................. 19
3.1.2 Progress Made: For Marine Renewable Energy Industry .......................................................................... 20
3.2 KEY LESSONS LEARNED ........................................................................................................................................21

FURTHER INFORMATION................................................................................................................................ 21
4.1
4.2

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS ....................................................................................................................................21

WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA ...................................................................................................................................21

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS..................................................................................................................................... 21

REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................... 21

APPENDICES................................................................................................................................................... 21
7.1
7.2

STAGE DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY TABLE ................................................................................................................21

SUMMARY TABLE OF THE PERFORMED TESTS ..........................................................................................................23

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 6 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

1 INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Offshore devices are the most appropriate for the extensive exploitation of the wave energy resource. The
IDMEC/IST wave energy group is developing the OWC spar buoy, see Fig. 1a, a WEC adequate for large scale offshore
energy production. Possibly, this is the simplest concept for a floating wave energy converter. It is an axisymmetric
device (insensitive to wave direction) consisting basically of a submerged vertical tail tube open at both ends, fixed
to a floater that moves essentially in heave. The air flow displaced by the motion of the oscillating water column
relative to the buoy drives a self-rectifying air turbine, see Figs. 1b and 1c.
The IDMEC/IST OWC spar buoy wave energy converter concept has already completed several important
development stages, namely:
A numerical hydrodynamic optimization model based on linear potential theory has been developed to obtain
the buoy geometry.
Tests at a 1/120 scale were carried out at IST small wave flume, allowing a preliminary validation of the
concept.
Tests at a 1/35 scale have been carried out at the University of Porto wave tank.
A 1/16 scale model of the buoy with 1 m diameter and 3 m draft was built and tested at NARECs large scale
wave flume within the framework of the 1st call of the FP7-MARINET programme.
The novel biradial self-rectifying air turbine has been designed, patented and experimentally tested at a 1/4
scale at the IST turbomachinery test rig.
An overview movie about the experimental work performed during these stages can be viewed on YouTube
http://youtu.be/1Oa1fBC0_5I .
The OWC spar buoy WEC is being developed as an integrated design, covering several energy conversion stages from
the buoy hydrodynamics to the turbine aerodynamics. The hydrodynamic performance of the device is being
completely characterised by the ongoing numerical simulations and from the results of the tests carried out at
NARECs large scale wave flume, whereas the characteristic curve of the air turbine is known from experiments
performed at the IST turbomachinery test rig and also from as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations.
The IDMEC/IST group has already developed and calibrated the numerical tools to model the energy chain up to the
turbine power output. The major task was the integration of this numerical model with the hardware available at
TECNALIA, which was already fitted to be coupled with a hardware-in-the-loop simulator. The proposed control
strategies were devised to improve the power absorption and ensure the best efficiency, as well as to choose the
least expensive combination of PTO equipment.
The present experimental work allows the assessment of different control strategies of the turbine/generator set.
For this purpose, real-time simulations of the hydrodynamics of the OWC spar buoy and the aerodynamics of the air
turbine are coupled with an experimental small-scale electrical motor/generator set, in a hardware-in-the-loop
configuration. The air turbine is emulated through an electrical motor coupled to the generator, which imposes the
simulation instantaneous torque.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 7 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

b)

c)

a)

Figure 1 a) The IDMEC/IST OWC spar buoy geometry (not to scale). The device is equipped with a biradial turbine, a latching valve in series
with the turbine and a relief valve in parallel with the turbine. The latching valve is shown in the closed position. b) The biradial turbine rotor
and stator. c) Schematic representation of biradial turbine: cross section showing the axially sliding cylindrical latching valve.
at the cal PTO Lab. Test

1.2 DEVELOPMENT SO FAR

1.2.1 Stage Gate Progress
Previously completed:
Planned for this project:
STAGE GATE CRITERIA
Status
Stage 1 Concept Validation
Linear monochromatic waves to validate or calibrate numerical models of the system (25 100 waves)
Finite monochromatic waves to include higher order effects (25 100 waves)
Hull(s) sea worthiness in real seas (scaled duration at 3 hours)
Restricted degrees of freedom (DoF) if required by the early mathematical models
Provide the empirical hydrodynamic co-efficient associated with the device (for mathematical
modelling tuning)
Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014
Page 8 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

STAGE GATE CRITERIA
Status
Investigate physical process governing device response. May not be well defined theoretically or
numerically solvable
Real seaway productivity (scaled duration at 20-30 minutes)
Initially 2-D (flume) test programme
Short crested seas need only be run at this early stage if the devices anticipated performance would be
significantly affected by them
Evidence of the device seaworthiness
Initial indication of the full system load regimes
Stage 2 Design Validation
Accurately simulated PTO characteristics
Performance in real seaways (long and short crested)
Survival loading and extreme motion behaviour.
Active damping control (may be deferred to Stage 3)
Device design changes and modifications
Mooring arrangements and effects on motion
Data for proposed PTO design and bench testing (Stage 3)
Engineering Design (Prototype), feasibility and costing
Site Review for Stage 3 and Stage 4 deployments
Over topping rates
Stage 3 Sub-Systems Validation
To investigate physical properties not well scaled & validate performance figures
To employ a realistic/actual PTO and generating system & develop control strategies
To qualify environmental factors (i.e. the device on the environment and vice versa) e.g. marine
growth, corrosion, windage and current drag
To validate electrical supply quality and power electronic requirements.
To quantify survival conditions, mooring behaviour and hull seaworthiness
Manufacturing, deployment, recovery and O&M (component reliability)
Project planning and management, including licensing, certification, insurance etc.
Stage 4 Solo Device Validation
Hull seaworthiness and survival strategies
Mooring and cable connection issues, including failure modes
PTO performance and reliability
Component and assembly longevity
Electricity supply quality (absorbed/pneumatic power-converted/electrical power)
Application in local wave climate conditions
Project management, manufacturing, deployment, recovery, etc
Service, maintenance and operational experience [O&M]
Accepted EIA
Stage 5 Multi-Device Demonstration
Economic Feasibility/Profitability
Multiple units performance
Device array interactions
Power supply interaction & quality

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 9 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

STAGE GATE CRITERIA
Environmental impact issues
Full technical and economic due diligence
Compliance of all operations with existing legal requirements

Status

1.2.2 Plan for This Access

1.2.2.1 Objectives
The PTO control testing for wave energy converters can be performed in a laboratory environment using a
hardware-in-the-loop simulator. The use of a test rig allows the repeatability of tests/working conditions and thus
enables the test and comparison of several control strategies using real hardware measurements to be carried out.
The present tests are performed with a scaled PTO and its control equipment available at TECNALIA, see Fig. 2. This
equipment with appropriate control can run coupled to a hardware-in-the-loop simulator under real sea operating
conditions. The control strategies, previously developed using purely numerical models, are tested with real
equipment where physical limitations are present. Thus, the viability of concepts from the electric point of view can
be analysed. The experimental results allow the team to characterise the dynamic behaviour of the device, assure
the practical applicability of the proposed control algorithms and provide a basis for the validation of the numerical
models.

1.2.2.2 Analysis of results

Most of the analysis and post-processing were carried out during tests. The used simulator has two models that run
simultaneously: a complete numerical model of the OWC spar buoy wave energy converter and a hardware-in-theloop simulation. This approach allows a real-time computer screen plot comparison of the numerical and
experimental data. Any deviation or malfunction that might be associated with specific constraints and/or unfeasible
requirements is quickly spotted in the computer screen.
The resulting data from the numerical and hardware-in-the-loop simulations is stored in computer files for additional
post-processing. The time-series include, for both the complete numerical model and the hardware-in-the-loop
simulation:

the vertical position of the buoy and the relative position of the oscillating water column;
the pressure in the pneumatic chamber;
the volumetric flow rate through the turbine and relief valve;
the dimensionless volumetric flow coefficient, the dimensionless pressure coefficient and efficiency of the
turbine;
the aerodynamic power and torque of the turbine;
the generator torque;
the rotational speed of the turbine/generator set;
the relief valve and latching valve status;
experimental measurements of the torque-meter.

For documentation purposes, all the Matlab/Simulink files used in each experimental test were stored.
The objective of the collected data is the comparison of results obtained with different sea-state conditions, control
strategies and tuning parameters. The remaining post-processing was left to a minimum and only includes mean
values, standard deviations and exceedance curves of the instantaneous generator power, turbine power and
rotational speed of motor/generator set.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 10 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

Figure 2 Overview of the configuration used by the IDMEC/IST groupat the Electrical PTO Lab test rig. Team
at the cal PTO Lab. test

2 OUTLINE OF WORK CARRIED OUT

2.1 SETUP
Figure 2 presents an overview of the configuration used by the IDMEC/IST group at Tecnalia test rig. The test rig can
be divided into three main parts: the motor, the generator and the hardware-in-the-loop simulator and data logging.
The motor and the generator are coupled through a shaft. To increase the system inertia, a flywheel was rigidly
attached to the shaft.
The motor part is composed by the motor and frequency converter which can be used to control the output torque
via an analogue input signal. The aim of these components is the simulation of the turbine torque under the
prescribed sea conditions. The motor torque is an output of the hardware-in-the-loop simulator.
The generator part includes the generator, the back-to-back power converter to control the generator and the grid
connection, and a PLC with the generator control software. The IDMEC/IST control laws were directly coded in a
subroutine of the PLC main code. The PLC control programme was supplied by TECNALIA. This part represents the
real equipment that could be connected between the WEC and the grid.
The hardware-in-the-loop simulator part emulates the behaviour of the OWC spar buoy WEC. The simulator and
data logger runs on a computer with Matlab xPC target real-time operating system, which connects the simulation
model to the physical model. In the present implementation, computer simulations of the OWC spar buoy
hydrodynamics and turbine aerodynamics are simulated in real-time for different sea-state conditions. The inputs
are the generator/motor (turbine) rotational speed and an analogue signal from a torque-meter. The real-time
computed turbine torque is supplied as reference torque to the frequency variator that drives the motor.
The motor frequency converter was supplied by Leroy-Somer. It is rated at 18 kW and allows peaks of power up to
28 kW. It is suitable to control motors with a maximum speed up to 3000 rpm. It can be controlled remotely via
external 4/20 mA signals. Both speed and torque control modes are available. The motor was also supplied by LeroySomer. It is a 2 pair of poles squirrel cage induction motor with the following specifications: 15 kW nominal power,
1460 rpm nominal speed and a maximum speed of 1800 rpm.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 11 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

The generator is a squirrel cage induction generator from ABB with the following specifications: 11 kW nominal
power, 768 rpm nominal speed and a maximum rotational speed of 1000 rpm.The generator is connected to a 400 V
isolated grid by means of a back-to-back bidirectional converter supplied by ABB. This converter is rated at 11 kW
(heavy-duty use) and permits a flexible remote control of the generator torque or speed via analogical signals. In the
current application, a torque reference calculated by the generator control software is supplied to the frequency
converter.
The generator control software has been programmed in a PLC from Beckhoff with similar characteristics to the one
that may be used in a real system. The controller and the generator frequency converter communicate through
several analogical and digital inputs/outputs. In this way the generator rotational speed is fed into the PLC. The PLC
executes a state machine that handles the possible errors and, in case of no error, carries out the control algorithms.
The output of the controller is the electrical torque that needs to be applied to the generator. This torque reference
is sent to the power converter through a 4/20 mA analogue output terminal. The controllers embedded in the
commercial frequency converter will follow this torque reference and will control the DC bus voltage and the power
injected into the grid.
In order to manage the PTO system, the state machine has been implemented in the PLC controller. The state
machine uses only 6 states to control the whole system.

2.2 TESTS
2.2.1 OWC Spar Buoy Configuration
The IDMEC/IST OWC spar buoy configuration used in the simulations is shown in Fig. 1. To limit the rotational speed
of the turbine/generator set and/or to prevent overloading the electrical generator, the buoy was tested with two
configurations, see Fig. 1:

a latching valve mounted in series with the biradial turbine and;

a relief valve mounted in a parallel configuration with respect to the turbine.

The valves are never operated simultaneously. Due to the stator geometry, the latching valve is actuated with a
vertical sliding motion with typical amplitude of less than 10 cm. The latching valve can be used with two purposes:
i) to cut the mass flow that feeds the turbine when the rotational speed exceeds a given threshold and/or ii) to
perform phase control of the buoy in order to increase the overall power output. The relief valve is used to control
the pneumatic pressure in highly energetic sea conditions. By reducing the pneumatic pressure, the turbine shaft
torque is reduced thus avoiding excessive speed of the turbine/generator set. This approach reduces the possibility
of overloading the electrical generator to limit its rotational speed. The typical diameter of this type of valve, for the
current configuration of the OWC spar buoy, is 1.5 m.

2.2.2 Power control laws

A simple control law for the generator that has been proposed and tested numerically, based on the hydrodynamics
of the wave energy absorption by the OWC spar buoy and on the aerodynamics of air turbines [1,2], is of the form
,

(1)

is the generator resistive power and and are constants to be determined for the type and geometry
where
of the OWC device and air turbine. The exponent is exactly equal to 3 if the time-averaged turbine aerodynamic
efficiency is to be maximized, and was found to slightly exceed this value for maximum overall (OWC plus turbine)
time-averaged efficiency, i.e. if the power output of the turbine is to be maximized [1,2].
In the present work, constants and are obtained using a least-squares exponential regression of the maximum
power output values obtained by an optimization algorithm, for a given set of sea-states characteristic of the wave
climate off the Portuguese Western coast. In the optimization algorithm, the rotational speed was assumed not to
be constrained by such factors as centrifugal stresses, occurrence of shock waves or electrical generator limitations.
Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014
Page 12 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

Figure 3 - Generator power control laws. a) The basic control law,

, obtained from exponential regression of the maximum power
extraction computed for a set of sea-states characteristic of the wave climate off the Portuguese west coast. b) Basic control law combined
. c) The curve used in Fig. 3a with the maximum
with two hysteresis loops where the maximum value is the generator rated power,
power clipped to the generator rated power. d) Modification of curve plotted in Fig. 3c, where the generator power increases smoothly from
zero to the basic control law between 500 rpm and 800 rpm.

The tested dimensionless generator power control laws are plotted in Fig. 3. The basic control law A1 is given by
,
where
is given by Eq. (1) and
is the generator rated power of the prototype. The major drawback of the
basic control law is the lack of limitation of the generator power if the rotational speed goes above a certain
threshold. In control law A2, see Fig. 3b, the basic control law is combined with a hysteresis loop where the upper
limit value is the generator rated power. In order to avoid unstable behaviour, a hysteresis exists between the
switch-on and switch-off threshold. Control law A3, shown in Fig. 3b, is similar to curve A2, but the hysteresis loop is
applied in a narrow rotational speed interval. Due to the existence of the discontinuity, control laws A2 and A3
imposed fast transients in the generator electrical output. To avoid the generator overload, control law A4 is clipped
to the generator rated power,
, see Fig. 3c.
Performed experimental tests showed that, in cases when the energy level of the incoming waves, and hence the
turbine aerodynamic torque, remain small over a substantial period of time (say several wave periods), the turbinegenerator set would stop due to friction torque. It was found that the Tecnalia test rig has a non-negligible friction
when performing tests in the smaller scales (tests at a scale below 1/4.7, see Table in subsection 7.2). Nevertheless,
this value of friction does not invalidate the results nor the conclusions found. To prevent the turbine/generator set
from stopping in the less energetic sea conditions, control law A5 was introduced, see Fig. 3d. This imposes zero
extracted power from the system for rotational speeds less than
500 rpm. Above this rotational speed, the
generator power increases smoothly (with continuous first order derivative) from zero to the basic control law at

800 rpm. For that, a third order polynomial control law is applied

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 13 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

,
such that
0,
,
0,
.
Above therotational speed

, the control law follows curve A4.

2.2.3 Test Plan

The experiments performed at the TECNALIA test rig were carried out using the generator power laws shown in
Fig. 3. The experiments consisted in the control of the maximum rotational speed of the turbine/generator set
and/or to prevent overloading the electrical generator. For this purpose, the buoy has two valve configurations. A
latching valve mounted in series with the biradial turbine and a relief valve mounted in a parallel configuration with
respect to the turbine, see Fig. 1. To keep the rotational speed and generator power within safe limits, three types of
valve control strategies were devised:

Type T1 - Opening a relief valve when the speed or power reaches maximum allowable values.
Type T2 - Closing a valve in series with the turbine when the speed or generator power reaches maximum
allowable values.
Type T3 - Latching control using the valve mounted in series with the turbine. In extreme wave conditions
close the valve.

A 15-day test-plan has been envisaged. Only irregular waves were considered. Sea state conditions referenced for
testing were based on the following operating conditions:
Optimum efficiency range:
Extreme loading conditions:

2 and 4 m and
6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 s.
6 m and
6, 8, 10, 12 and 16 s.

All tests were performed for a time-length of 3800 s for the prototype (full-scale), corresponding to a (real) time
duration of
.

A total of 84 tests were performed. In all tests, the Pierson-Moskowitz spectral distribution was adopted. A summary
of the more relevant tests is presented in section 7.2. The most important results are plotted in Figs. 4 to 8. The
dimensionless turbine power output, used to plot the curves in the figures, is defined as
,
and, analogously, for the dimensionless generator output power
.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 14 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

Table 1 summarizes the configurations used for the curves plotted in Figs. 4 to 8. Figures 4 to 7 concern four wave
spectra, all with a significant wave height
6 m and energy periods
8, 10, 12 and 16 s, respectively. These
figures show most of the capabilities and limitations of the proposed control strategies under highly energetic sea
states. Figure 8 compares power law A5 with valve control strategy T1 for three different significant wave heights,
6, 4 and 2 m, and two energy periods,
8 and 12 s. This figure shows the performance of the best control
under lower energetic sea states.
Table 1 Summary of the configurations used in the tests plotted inFigs. 4 to 8.
Significant wave
Energy
Test
Generator
Power
Figure
height,
[m]
period, [s] number
control
law
4

10

12

16
8
12
8
12
8
12

6
8

54
50
41
21
39
47
42
22
55
48
43
23
57
49
44
24
55
54
63
61
62
60

4
2

Figure 4 Results for tests 21, 41, 50 and 54, performed for
generator power b), turbine power c) and rotational speed d).

6 m and

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 15 of 23

A5
A4
A1
A1
A3
A4
A1
A1
A5
A4
A1
A1
A5
A4
A1
A1

T1
T1
T2
T1
T1
T1
T2
T1
T1
T1
T2
T1
T1
T1
T2
T1

A5

T1

8 s. Mean power output a), exceedance curves for the

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

Figure 5 Results for tests 22, 42, 47 and 39, performed for
generator power b), turbine power c) and rotational speed d).

6 m and

10 s. Mean power output a), exceedance curves for the

Figure 6 Results for tests 23, 43, 48 and 55, performed for
generator power b), turbine power c) and rotational speed d).

6 m and

12 s. Mean power output a), exceedance curves for the

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 16 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

Figure 7 Results for tests 24, 44, 49 and 57, performed for
generator power b), turbine power c) and rotational speed d).

6 m and

16 s. Mean power output a), exceedance curves for the

Figure 8 Comparison of the results for tests 60, 62, 61, 63, 54 and 55, performed using power law A5 and valve control strategy T1. Mean
power output a), exceedance curves for the generator power b), turbine power c) and rotational speed d) for three different significant wave
6, 4 and 2 m, and two energy periods,
8 and 12 s.
heights,

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 17 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

Figure 9 Results obtained for tests 55 and 23, both for a significant wave height of
6 m and an energy period of
12 s. Valve
strategy for both tests was T1. Tests 55 and 23 use power laws A5 and A1, respectively. a) Experimental instantaneous generator output
power. b) Comparison between the experimental and numerical rotational speed of the turbine/generator set.

2.3 ANALYSIS & CONCLUSIONS

The results from tests performed under a sea state described by a Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum with
6 m and
8 s are plotted in Fig. 4. The best results in terms of generator output power were obtained for test 41.
However, test 41 is 12% of the time above the generator rated power and 2% well above this limit. Test 21 follows
the trend of test 41 but it is only 7% of the time above the generator rated power. Tests 50 and 54 are almost
identical, showing only a small difference for rotational speeds bellow 600 rpm, as expected from applying power
laws A4 and A5, see Fig. 3. For these two tests, the generator rated power is never exceeded. Another interesting
result is the lower power output resulting from applying power laws A4 and A5 in comparison with power law A1.
Figure 5 presents the results for a sea state with
6 m and
8 s. The curves of tests 22, 42 and 47 follow
closely the trends of tests 21, 41 and 50 plotted in Fig. 4, respectively. For this sea state condition, a test for the
power law A5 was not performed. Test 39 used power law A3. The hysteresis loops used in power law A3 (and also in
A2) imposes a discontinuous behaviour on the generator output power. It was found that the generator controller
was unable to match the required dynamics of power law A3. The extracted power for this case was significantly less
than the others (see Fig. 5a). Power law A3 (and also A2) has been discarded.
Figures 6 and 7, both with
6 m and
12, 16 s respectively, follow basically the trends of Fig. 4. Comparing
the studied combinations of power laws and valve control strategies, it may be concluded that the best option for
limiting the rotational speed and the generator peak power is power law A5 and valve control strategy T1.
Figure 8 shows the performance of this combination for three significant wave heights,
energy periods,
8 and 12 s.

6, 4 and 2 m, and two

Figure 9 compares a time-series of the results obtained for tests 55 and 23, both for H
6 m and T
12 s. For
both tests, valve strategy T1 was used. Tests 55 and 23 use power laws A5 and A1, respectively. In Fig. 9a, the
experimental instantaneous generator output power is plotted for both test cases. As expected for this highly
Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014
Page 18 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

energetic sea state, test case 53 is always below the generator rated power which is not the case for test case
23.Since test 53 has the generator output power limited, the rotational speed and the instantaneous power decay
later, in comparison with test case 23. This behaviour can be seen, for example, in the power curves inside the
magenta rectangle, Fig. 9a. Below 800 rpm, the instantaneous generator power for test case 53 is smaller than for
test case 23 due to the used power law, see Fig. 9a and Fig. 3.
As stated before, the used simulator has two models that run simultaneously: a complete numerical model of the
OWC spar buoy wave energy converter and a hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Figure 9b shows a comparison
between the numerical and the experimental rotational speed values. In test case 23, the match between the
experimental and computational speed is very good. In test case 53, there is a significant difference between the
numerical and the experimental values when the instantaneous power is well above the rated power. We think that
this behaviour is a result of the generator controller since we are getting closer to its upper limit. Comparing the
rotational speed of test case 53 and 23, when the generator power is limited the resistive torque is smaller and the
rotational speed increases.
From the analysis of the results and considering the three valve control strategies adopted, the following conclusions
may be drawn:

The relief valve is more effective than the latching valve for controlling the upper limits of both rotational
speed and generator power.
The valve control strategy T2 should be changed. The valve installed in series with the turbine opens and
closes depending on the rotational speed. The valve opening order should take also into account the current
relative pressure of the pneumatic chamber to reduce the turbine instantaneous output power to
acceptable values.
The implemented control strategies were found to be more effective for system configurations with low
inertia.
High inertia systems respond slower to fast turbine power transients but have problems with self-start, for
the adopted scales in the tests, due to the level of friction torque of the test rig.
The delay imposed by the control of the generator from ABB should be taken into account for highly
energetic sea conditions, where fast transients may occur. The value of the delay was found to be 150 ms.

3 MAIN LEARNING OUTCOMES

3.1 PROGRESS MADE
3.1.1 Progress Made: For This User-Group or Technology
The IDMEC/IST wave energy group successfully implemented a hardware-in-the-loop PTO simulator. The tests at
Tecnalia test rig were carried out using only standard equipment commonly used in laboratory. The numerical
models used in the hardware-in-the-loop simulator were validated and tested against a PTO with a real electrical
generator. The numerical simulator was able to cope with the typical signal-to-noise ratio found in a real
experimental setup.
The hydrodynamic and aerodynamic numerical models used in the hardware-in-the-loop simulator were
implemented for a full-scale prototype, while the PTO simulator was running at a prescribed model scale. To perform
this type of modelling, the time-step of the full-scale equations was decreased, accordingly to Froude scaling, since
the time-step of the Tecnalia test rig cannot be changed. The coupling between the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic
numerical models (full-scale) and the PTO test rig (model-scale) is done by power and torque values. The scaling of
power and torque is performed in real-time. A complete description of the used numerical models will be described
in detail in a forthcoming paper. This approach and the need of running the real-time simulations in the Simulink/xPC
Target result in a complete re-writing of all the code previously developed by the IDMEC/IST group.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 19 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

The results have shown the capabilities and limitations of the proposed control algorithms. Additionally, the tests
provided valuable insight for the group about the real behaviour of an electrical generator and its power electronics.
The software of the power electronics that controls the electrical generator has a delay of about 150 ms and slower
than expected dynamics. The knowledge about this delay is very important especially for dealing with fast transients
such as latching (valve control T3) or a pressure increase due to a wave train with a wave height much higher than
the mean value. For the case of the valve controls T1 and T2, a correction for the delay was as already introduced in
the numerical models that are being used to simulate/design the IDMEC/IST OWC spar buoy.

3.1.1.1 Next Steps for Research or Staged Development Plan Exit/Change & Retest/Proceed?
In the reported testing programme at Tecnalia PTO laboratory, the knowledge of instantaneous values of rotational
speed and air pressure in the OWC chamber was assumed. These control variables have been used to perform the
overall system control. The causal latching control used during these tests was not very effective for improving the
energy extraction.
By knowing the behaviour of the system in advance, the optimization of the instantaneous generator torque and the
selection of the ideal actuation instant of latching valve will be possible to obtain through model predictive control
(MPC). In framework of the fifth FP7-Marinet call, a model predictive control (MPC) strategy will be tested again in
the Tecnalia test rig. The control will try to tune the WEC with the incoming waves by controlling a fast-actuated
valve positioned in series with the turbine flow. The fast-actuated valve will be used to almost instantaneously block
the air flow and place the system near resonance conditions (latching control). The biradial turbine presents a very
simple and effective solution for applying a fast-actuated valve since this can be done by a single moving part with a
relatively small stroke. Additionally, the rotational speed, the generator rated power and the turbine instantaneous
peak power will be the system constraints for the MPC. This will be important for normal operating conditions but
also, and most importantly, when the system has an excess of energy. The practical implications of this strategy on
the generator and electrical equipment will be analysed.
Another important aspect of the hardware-in-the-loop simulator that should be improved is how to emulate inertia
for the small scale model that is larger than the physical installed inertia in the test rig. This can be done by
correcting the angular acceleration according to the inertia that is being simulated. In the current tests, the scale of
the tests was changed.

3.1.2 Progress Made: For Marine Renewable Energy Industry

From the test results, it was shown that it is quite challenging to simultaneously control the rotational speed and the
instantaneous power of the generator with a rated power of about twice the expected average energy extraction.
Due to the irregular characteristics of the sea-waves, in highly energetic sea-states, trains of waves could reach the
WEC with an instantaneous power much larger than the generator rated power. This wave behaviour can accelerate
the turbine/generator group well above rotational speed limit since the generator does not have enough capacity to
absorb this excess energy. The main reason to use the smallest possible generator is to reduce the overall costs and
the weight of the PTO. The weight of the PTO is of extreme importance for hydrodynamic stability since it is installed
on top of the buoy.
Through the use of a relief valve in parallel with the turbine, it is possible to have a PTO control that limits the
turbine/generator set rotational speed and the pneumatic power available to the turbine. The use of a latching valve
was not entirely successful since it resulted in large pneumatic power peaks. The proposed strategy for the latching
valve, based only on the rotational speed, must be changed to cope with large pressure differences that could occur
between the pneumatic chamber and the atmosphere. The valve should be open only if the rotational speed is
below a specified threshold and if the relative pressure of the pneumatic chamber is also within a safe range. This
could decrease the overall system efficiency. The latching valve is clearly more interesting, both from simplicity and
economic point-of-view, than the relief valve to control the PTO. The latching valve is considerably smaller than the
relief valve and is cheaper to build. It is installed in series with the turbine and allows the air duct to close and
prevent green water from reaching the turbine. It should remain closed in stormy conditions.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 20 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

3.2 KEY LESSONS LEARNED

A preliminary visit to the Tecnalia test rig was very important to fully understand the capabilities and
limitations that the group would encounter in the tests. During this visit, a first version of the
Matlab/Simulink model was tested. It was found that the model did not work and it was completely
re-written.
The IDMEC/IST team used their own data acquisition board to fully test the Matlab/Simulink model at
IDMEC/IST before going to Tecnalia for the complete set of tests. Testing the complete model only at
Tecnalia would be very time-consuming and error prone.
The Matlab/Simulink state-spaces used in the simulation needed to be coded in the C language in order to
decrease the execution times and allow real-time control.
The use of a complete numerical simulation that runs in parallel with the main hardwarein-the-loop model
allows a rapid and real-time comparison between the IDMEC/IST numerical model and the hardware in the
loop simulations. The hardwarein-the-loop simulator comprises two systems of 26 ordinary differential
equations. This approach allows the team to identify the physical limitations of the real hardware during the
execution of the tests. This is one of the main reasons for performing hardware in the loop simulations.

4 FURTHER INFORMATION
4.1 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
List of scientific publications made planned as a result of this work:
J.C.C. Henriques, R.P.F. Gomes, E. Robles, S. Ceballos, L.M.C. Gato and A.F.O. Falco. Hardware-In-the-Loop
test of a Power Take-off system for an OWC spar buoy. In preparation for submission to a journal.

4.2 WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA

YouTube Link(s): http://youtu.be/1Oa1fBC0_5I
Online Photographs Link: http://waves.tecnico.ulisboa.pt/SPOWCON2013/index.html

5 ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
The IDMEC/IST group acknowledges all the support from Tecnalia, namely Eider Robles and Salvador Ceballos. The
friendship of all members of Tecnalia during the IDMEC/IST group stay at Bilbao was much appreciated.

6 REFERENCES
[1] Falco, A.F. de O., 2002. Control of an Oscillating Water Column Wave Power Plant for Maximum Energy
Production, Appl. Ocean Res., vol. 24, pp. 73-82.
[2] Falco, A.F.O., Henriques, J.C.C., Gato, L.M.C.,Gomes, R.P.F., 2014. Air Turbine Choice and Optimization for
Floating Oscillating-Water-Column Wave Energy Converter, Ocean Eng., vol. 75, pp. 148-156.
[3] Henriques, J.C.C., Falco, A.F.O., Gomes, R.P.F.,Gato, L.M.C., 2013. Latching Control of an Oscillating Water
Column Spar-Buoy Wave Energy Converter in Regular Waves. J. Offshore Mech. Arctic Eng.-Trans. ASME, vol. 135,
021902.

7 APPENDICES
7.1 STAGE DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY TABLE
The following table gives an overview of the test programmes recommended by IEA-OES for each Technology
Readiness Level. This is only offered as a guide and is in no way extensive of the full test programme that should be
committed to at each TRL.

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 21 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 22 of 23

Infrastructure Access Report: SPOWCON

7.2 SUMMARY TABLE OF THE PERFORMED TESTS

Rev. 01, 28-Feb-2014

Page 23 of 23