A Tubular-Generator Drive For Wave Energy Conversion

This paper illustrates the operation of a tubular-machine drive as a linear generator for a heave-buoy wave energy conversion. Linear generators, which are adopted in marine power plants, offer the advantage of generating without introducing any conversion crank gear or hydraulic system. The use of a tubular-machine topology allows the electromagnetic thrust density to be improved. This paper briefly summarizes the principles of marine wave buoy interaction and reports the design analysis and control of a permanent-magnet (PM) synchronous tubular linear machine based on a scaled generator prototype and on a rotating simulation test bench