Wave energy operates in one of the most unpredictable environments in renewable energy. Wave conditions change constantly, and the forces acting on a wave energy converter cannot always be measured directly in real time. Within the INFINITY project, advanced control strategies are therefore central to improving reliability, durability, and long-term performance.
A key contribution to this work comes from researchers at Politecnico di Torino, through the Marine Offshore Renewable Energy Lab (MOREnergy Lab), where control and modelling of marine energy systems are core research areas.
– We work with advanced numerical models and control strategies to optimise both performance and reliability in wave energy systems, says Giuseppe Giorgi, professor at Politecnico di Torino.
In practice, this means developing control methods that balance energy production with mechanical loads on critical components. Within INFINITY, the group contributes to control system development with a clear focus on applicability beyond simulations.
– Control strategies must be both intelligent and fast to be viable in real sea conditions, Giorgi explains.
Put simply, advanced algorithms must be computationally efficient enough to react in real time to changing waves, without introducing instability or excessive mechanical stress.
The uncertainty that cannot be measured
One of the central challenges in wave energy control is that the dominant external force – the wave excitation force – cannot be measured directly.
– The main source of uncertainty is the wave excitation force. Because it cannot be measured in real time, we rely on estimation techniques and short-term forecasting to predict how waves will evolve, says Nicolas Faedo, assistant professor at Politecnico di Torino.
If these predictions are inaccurate, control decisions can quickly become suboptimal, affecting both performance and component lifetime. In INFINITY, control strategies move beyond the traditional goal of maximising energy output alone.
– We have moved past the stage where maximising energy capture is the only objective, Faedo says and continues:
– Control design now also accounts for fatigue and mechanical wear in the power take-off system.
As a result, the system may deliberately reduce energy production in certain conditions to limit wear and extend the operational life of key components.
Integrating lifetime into control decisions
Rather than treating durability as an external constraint, INFINITY integrates lifetime considerations directly into the control framework.
– We develop fatigue models for critical components, such as ball screws, and incorporate this information into predictive control, Giorgi explains.
This allows control decisions to balance short-term energy production with long-term reliability, using site-specific wave conditions as a basis. Predictive control methods enable wave energy systems to adapt automatically to varying sea conditions.
– The advantage of predictive control is the ability to look ahead, Faedo says.
– It allows the system to maximise energy capture in moderate seas, while shifting to more conservative operating modes during high-load events, Giorgi adds.
Such adaptability reduces the need for manual intervention and supports more robust offshore operation.
Towards autonomous, long-term operation
Looking ahead, both professors highlight the integration of structural health information into control systems as a key research challenge.
– The next step is greater autonomy, where control systems also account for the actual condition of components, not only external loads, Giorgi says.
The long-term goal is wave energy systems that can autonomously balance immediate power production against long-term impacts on cost and reliability. Within INFINITY, this shift towards predictive, life-aware control represents an important step toward making wave energy a reliable and sustainable contributor to the future energy system.
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