Effects of non-vertical linear motions of a hemispherical-float wave energy converter

The hydraulic power-take-off mechanism (HPTO) is one of the most popular methods in wave energy converter (WECs). However, the conventional HPTO with only one direction motion has some drawbacks which limit its power capture capability. This paper proposes an adjustable slope angle wave energy converter (ASAWEC) and investigates the effect of slope angle on the performance of the proposed wave energy converter to find the optimal slope angle with the purpose to increase the power capture capability as well as energy efficiency. A mathematical model of components from a floating buoy to a hydraulic motor was modeled. A small scale WEC test rig was fabricated to verify the power capture capability and efficiency of the proposed system throughout experiments. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.