Reliability-Based Structural Optimization of Wave Energy Converters

Simon Ambühl, Morten Kramer and John Dalsgaard Sørensen
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Simon Ambühl: Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, Sofiendalsvej 11, 9200 Aalborg SV, Denmark
Morten Kramer: Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, Sofiendalsvej 11, 9200 Aalborg SV, Denmark
John Dalsgaard Sørensen: Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, Sofiendalsvej 11, 9200 Aalborg SV, Denmark

Energies, 2014, vol. 7, issue 12, 1-23

Abstract: More and more wave energy converter (WEC) concepts are reaching prototypelevel. Once the prototype level is reached, the next step in order to further decrease thelevelized cost of energy (LCOE) is optimizing the overall system with a focus on structuraland maintenance (inspection) costs, as well as on the harvested power from the waves.The target of a fully-developed WEC technology is not maximizing its power output,but minimizing the resulting LCOE. This paper presents a methodology to optimize thestructural design of WECs based on a reliability-based optimization problem and the intentto maximize the investor’s benefits by maximizing the difference between income (e.g., fromselling electricity) and the expected expenses (e.g., structural building costs or failure costs).Furthermore, different development levels, like prototype or commercial devices, may havedifferent main objectives and will be located at different locations, as well as receive varioussubsidies. These points should be accounted for when performing structural optimizationsof WECs. An illustrative example on the gravity-based foundation of the Wavestar deviceis performed showing how structural design can be optimized taking target reliability levelsand different structural failure modes due to extreme loads into account.

Keywords: LCOE; probabilistic reliability analysis; reliability level; reliability-basedoptimization; wave energy; WEC; Wavestar (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: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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