On control approaches for efficient primary energy conversion in irregular waves

Active control has been extensively studied in the wave energy literature. Advantages of control include potential improvement in year-round productivity and potential decrease in device size. Control in irregular waves presents special difficulties. This paper summarizes some of the recent work on reactive control in irregular waves. A part of the total actuator force requires estimation of future velocity. Approximate estimates based on past measurements are utilized. Results show considerable performance enhancement in wave spectra dominated by energy-rich swells. For further enhancement, the estimation quality must be improved