A study on modeling of a hybrid wind wave energy converter system

A model of a hybrid wind wave energy converter (HWWEC) system is proposed in this paper. The HWWEC includes two wave buoys and a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) system, which co-works to drive a generator. Wave buoys are arranged in an arc pattern to capture efficiently wave energy from many directions. The hydrodynamic forces are calculated by the Wave Analysis at Massachusetts Institute of Technology WAMIT software. In order to bring the system into resonance with the incident wave frequencies, a variable inertia hydraulic flywheel is employed so that the power output is maximized. Specifications and working principle of the whole system are presented and described. WEC unit model and hybrid mechanism are also presented. Simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance the HWWEC with the given specifications. Then, simulation results under some phase differences are taken to investigate the influence on the overall efficiency.