The research on direct-drive wave energy conversion system and performance optimization

A direct-drive wave energy conversion system based on a three-phase permanent magnet tubular linear generator (PMTLG) and a heaving buoy is proposed to convert wave energy into electrical energy. Sufficient experimental methods are adopted to compare the computer simulations, the validity of which is verified by the experiment results from a wave tank laboratory. In the experiment, the motion curves of heaving buoy are with small fluctuations, mainly caused by the PMTLG’s detent force. For the reduction of these small fluctuations and a maximum operational efficiency of the direct-drive wave energy conversion system, the PMTLG’s detent force minimization technique and the heaving buoy optimization will be discussed. It is discovered that the operational efficiency of the direct-drive wave energy conversion system increases dra-matically after optimization. The experiment and optimization results will provide useful reference for the future research on ocean wave energy conversion system.