Pre-design of a Small-Scale Pendulum Wave Energy Converter

Abstract

The pre-design of a wave energy converter prototype is carried out by means of a computational study, based on the dynamics of the parametric pendulum. The focus of this research is on a small-scale application planned for the near future in the Bahía Blanca Estuary. Thus, a mathematical model is formulated to address the dynamics of the converter in a simplified way. Employing this model, a simple optimization problem is solved using different device design parameters, searching for the optimal configuration in terms of kinetic energy generation. The study also defines the design conditions under which the rest position results in an unstable response of the pendulum system. This implies minimizing the time in which the device is unable to generate energy. It is shown that, with a good design, a pendulum converter is able to generate about 20 W of power. This represents a reasonable value considering the low wave energy density, typical of estuaries.