Session: 08-02 Alternative Energy Conversion Techniques

Paper Number: 106960

106960 - Power Generation Maximization Control Framework for Ocean Current Turbine Farms 

In this work, we propose a cooperative control framework for farms consisting of ocean current turbines. The ocean current turbine systems used in this farm are tethered to the seafloorground of the ocean, and their depth can be adjusted online to maximize power production based on the maximum ocean current power available. To maximize the average power generated by the farm, the ocean current turbine wake interactions must be taken into account, and also all of the turbines in the farm should ​position themselves to achieve optimal changes in the depth reference with minimum control energy. Considering additional limitations such as keeping the tethering cables away from each other and avoiding collision between the turbines, an advanced optimization framework is developed with convex optimization techniques, with an exploration of alternative methods, to achieve the maximum power generation in a specified region. The reference tracking of the ocean current turbine systems is achieved by model predictive control. A case study is presented to highlight the estimated improvement in the average energy generated inside a farm using this framework.

Presenting Author: Cornel Sultan Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Presenting Author Biography: Cornel Sultan obtained his Ph.D. in 1999 from Purdue University. He has been affiliated with Tensegra Inc. (a start-up), Harvard Medical School, Scientific Systems Inc, United Technologies Research Center and, since 2007, with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) where he is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. His current research interests are in energy harvesting systems, tensegrity and membranes, aerospace and marine vehicles design, dynamics, and control.