ABSTRACT
A Power Take-Off (PTO) is a core sub-system of a Wave Energy Converter (WEC) related to the conversion of wave to electrical power. The PTO is exposed to challenging environmental loading conditions that characterise wave energy. This paper investigates how the PTO developed by the UMBRAGROUP in the H2020 IMAGINE project could be considered for multiple WEC configurations. In particular, the paper aims to determine whether it is beneficial to upscale the PTO or deploy multiple smaller PTOs in a modular configuration. The benefits of modularity are investigated in terms of the design efficiency of both the PTO module and of the WEC prime mover, where design efficiency is the ratio between the estimated energy yield and the characteristic force the component must withstand. This results of this paper aim to contribute towards a roll-out strategy for the EMG PTO, and to the characterisation of the optimum sizing of WECs.
