Modeling and Simulation of a Wave Energy Converter: Multibody System Coupled to Fluid-Film Lubrication Model and Thermal Analysis

Adolfo Senatore () and Alex De Simone
Additional contact information
Adolfo Senatore: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, I-84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Alex De Simone: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, I-84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 24, 1-13

Abstract: Sea wave energy is being increasingly regarded as one of the most promising sources of renewable energy. This paper deals with the modeling and simulation of an onshore wave energy converter system designed by UMBRA GROUP SpA. Several topics are addressed. Starting from the multibody modeling strategy, this paper delves more deeply into the mechanical efficiency evaluation of the ball-screw in the elastohydrodynamic lubrication regime, the core of the energy conversion process, as well as the thermal characterization of the power take-off module, based on the lumped-parameter and finite element method models. High values of ball-screw indirect efficiency have been observed, ranging from 73% to 97%; these results appear even more encouraging when compared to the performance of alternative energy-consuming technologies. Thermal analysis, on the other hand, provided a maximum temperature increase of 40 °C, allowing for the aversion of any structural collapse and the realistic identification of the lubrication regime, which turned out to be mostly mixed. Finally, an inverse multibody dynamic analysis is performed, and the most interesting simulation results are collected to prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Keywords: wave energy converter; multibody modeling and simulation; ball-screw efficiency; thermal models; inverse dynamic analysis (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9358/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/24/9358/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:24:p:9358-:d:999471

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().