Optimization of Wave Energy Converter Arrays by an Improved Differential Evolution Algorithm

Hong-Wei Fang, Yu-Zhu Feng and Guo-Ping Li
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Hong-Wei Fang: School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Yu-Zhu Feng: School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Guo-Ping Li: Beijing Kejitong Electronic Engineering Co. Ltd., Beijing 100000, China

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: Since different incident waves will cause the same array to perform differently with respect to the wave energy converter (WEC), the parameters of the incident wave, including the incident angle and the incident wave number , are taken into account for optimizing the wave energy converter array. Then, the differential evolution (DE) algorithm, which has the advantages of simple operation procedures and a strong global search ability, is used to optimize the wave energy converter array. However, the traditional differential evolution algorithm cannot satisfy the convergence precision and speed simultaneously. In order to make the optimization results more accurate, the concept of an adaptive mutation operator is presented to improve the performance of differential evolution algorithm. It gives the improved algorithm a faster convergence and a higher precision ability. The three-float, five-float, and eight-float arrays were optimized, respectively. It can be concluded that the larger the size of the array is, the greater the interaction between the floats is. Hence, a higher efficiency of wave energy extraction for wave energy converter arrays is achieved by the layout optimization of the array of wave energy converters. The results also show that the optimal layout of the array system is inhomogeneously distributed and that the improved DE algorithm used on array optimization is superior to the traditional DE algorithm.

Keywords: wave energy converter; array; improved differential evolution algorithm; interaction; adaptive mutation operator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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