Performance Enhancement of Wave Energy Converters Integrated with DC Grids Using Energy Storage Systems

Wave energy has a great potential as a renewable energy source. However, the intermittent nature of wave profile causes fluctuations in the output power extracted from wave energy converters. This paper proposes to smooth the output power extracted from wave energy using battery energy storage system and to integrate this power with DC systems. First, oscillating water column used to extract wave energy is described. It is based on reference model 3, which is referred as wave power buoy. Then, the design considerations of wave power buoy with permanent magnet linear generator are discussed and the Egyptian western coastline is taken as a case study. The ocean wave simulation is performed using the WecSim toolbox developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK considering the real irregular wave action. The output power from the linear generator is demonstrated. After that, the wave energy power generation with battery energy storage system is described. The system performance is evaluated through various simulation results. Finally, supercapacitor is used with battery for further enhancement in the performance of the system.