Experimental validation of a fast-tracking FOCV-MPPT circuit for a wave energy converter embedded into an oceanic drifter
Wave Energy Converters (WECs) are an ideal solution for expanding the autonomy of surface sensor platforms such as oceanic drifters. To extract the maximum amount of energy from these fast-varying sources, a fast maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique is required. Previous studies have examin...
| Autores: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2023 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/387128 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/387128 https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jmse11040816 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | Energy harvesting Ocean wave power Fractional open circuit voltage Maximum power point tracking Oceanic drifter Power management unit Wave energy converter Energia -- Captació Onades -- Energia Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria electrònica::Instrumentació i mesura Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Energies::Tecnologia energètica |
| Resumo: | Wave Energy Converters (WECs) are an ideal solution for expanding the autonomy of surface sensor platforms such as oceanic drifters. To extract the maximum amount of energy from these fast-varying sources, a fast maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique is required. Previous studies have examined power management units (PMU) with fast MPPT circuits, but none of them have demonstrated their feasibility in a real-world scenario. In this study, the performance of a fast-tracking fractional open circuit voltage (FOCV)-MPPT circuit (sampling period TMPPT of 48 ms) is compared with a commercial slow-tracking PMU (TMPPT of 16 s) in a monitored sea area while using a small-scale, pendulum-type WEC. A specific low-power relaxation oscillator circuit is designed to control the fast MPPT circuit. The results demonstrate that by speeding up the sampling frequency of the MPPT circuit, the harvested energy can be increased by a factor of three. |
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