Nonlinear Model Predictive Control Using Real-Time Iteration Scheme for Wave Energy Converters Using Wecsim Platform

This repository offers a solution for the WECCCOMP based on Nonlinear Model Predictive Control strategy presented in a Paper submitted and accepted to be presented in the ASME 41st International Conference on Ocean, Offshore & Arctic Engineering (OMAE2022)

Paper Title: Nonlinear Model Predictive Control Using Real-Time Iteration Scheme for Wave Energy Converters Using Wecsim Platform Paper Number: OMAE2022-80972 Abstract: One of several challenges that wave energy technologies face is their inability to generate electricity cost-competitively with other grid-scale energy generation sources. Several studies have identified two approaches to lower the levelised cost of electricity: reduce the cost over the device's lifetime or increase its overall electrical energy production. Several advanced control strategies have been developed to address the latter. However, only a few take into account the overall efficiency of the power take-off (PTO) system, and none of them solve the optimisation problem that arises at each sampling time on real-time. In this paper, a detailed Nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) approach based on the real-time iteration (RTI) scheme is presented, and the controller performance is evaluated using a time-domain hydrodynamics model (WEC-Sim). The proposed control law incorporates the PTO system's efficiency in a control law to maximise the energy extracted. The study also revealed that RTI-NMPC clearly outperforms a simple resistive controller.

Authors

Juan Luis Guerrero Fernández ( Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK; School of Electromechanical Engineering, Costa Rica Institute of Technology, Cartago, Costa Rica.)

Nathan Michael Tom ( National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA)

John Anthony Rossiter ( Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK)