Control of the Archimedes Wave Swing using Neural Networks

Beirão, P.; Mendes, M.; Valério, D.; Sá da Costa, J. (2007). Control of the Archimedes Wave Swing using Neural Networks. Paper presented at 7th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC 2007), Porto, Portugal.

Abstract

This paper addresses the control of the Archimedes Wave Swing, a fully-submerged Wave Energy Converter (WEC), of which a prototype has already been built and tested. Simulation results are presented in which Internal Model Control (IMC) is used, both with linear models and with non-linear neural network (NN) models. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time NN-based control is being applied to design a controller for a WEC. NNs are a mathematical tool suitable to model the behaviour of dynamic systems, both linear and non-linear (as in our case). Significant absorbed wave energy increases were found, both using linear models and NNs. Results were better when IMC with NNs was employed (with a nearly sixfold increase against a fivefold increase), except for the May—September period, when IMC with linear models performs better.