The Challenge of Economic Wave Energy - A Control Perspective

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• Prof. John Ringwood, Maynooth University
• Friday 23 November 2018, 14:00-15:00
• 1109B (CAP seminar room) .

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Giordano Scarciotti.

Abstract: Wave energy has the potential to diversify the renewable energy mix, but it yet to be economically competitive with other renewable energy sources. This talk takes a look at what steps can be taken to make wave energy more economically competitive and what role control engineering can play in this. In particular, control can play a particular role in maximising power capture, given a particular mechanical configuration/capital investment. However, the control objective for energy maximisation problems differs from that of conventional setpoint tracking, requiring a fresh look at how traditional techniques from the control sciences can be employed. Nevertheless, many familiar methods, such as MPC , estimation, forecasting and identification are employed, albeit with significant modification. The talk presents some of these methods, as employed in a wave energy context, and also examines the degree to which linearised mathematical WEC models can be employed.

Biography: John Ringwood, a native of Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, was educated at Dublin Institute of Technology, Kevin Street and at Strathclyde University in Scotland, where he was awarded the PhD in 1985. He was a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electronic Engineering in Dublin City University until 2000, when he was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Electronic Engineering at NUI Maynooth, serving as Head for a five year term to July 2005. He was a visiting Research Fellow at Massey University in New Zealand in 1991/92 and a visiting Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland in 1999. His research interests focus on the development and application of modelling and control systems techniques. John is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and a Chartered Engineer. John served as Dean of the Engineering at NUI Maynooth from 2001 to 2006. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Ocean Energy Research at Maynooth University.

This talk is part of the Control and Power Seminars series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• 1109B (CAP seminar room)
• Andrea Picciau's list
• Control and Power Seminars

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