Constrained optimal control of a point absorber wave energy converter with linear generator

This paper investigates a method for optimal control of a point absorbing wave energy converter by considering the constraints on motions and forces in the time domain. The problem is converted to an optimization problem with the cost function being convex quadratic and the constraints being nonlinear. The influence of the constraints on the converter is studied, and the results are compared with uncontrolled cases and established theoretical bounds. Since this method is based on the knowledge of the future sea state or the excitation force, the influence of the prediction horizon is indicated. The resulting performance of the wave energy converter under different regular waves shows that this method leads to a substantial increase in conversion efficiency. (C) 2015 Author(s).