ABSTRACT
Small-scale testing of Wave Energy Converters (WECs) in controlled wave tank environments is important to evaluate the design from a technical, economical, risk and reliability assessment point of view before employing expensive full-scale tests. The development of small-scale WEC models is tangled with challenging design problems regarding the mass, friction, and inertia of the Power Take-Off (PTO) system. Here, the design of two scaled (1:30), rotational and linear, PTO systems for wave tank test developed by Uppsala University, Sweden is presented with the aim of studying risk and reliability of the WEC for small scale experiments. The characteristics and generated mechanical power for both PTOs are evaluated. The damping force is employed by eddy current and friction braking in rotatory and linear PTOs, accordingly. The largest damping for rotatory PTO and the largest friction force for linear PTO identified through the dry-testing experiment are 2.5 Ns/m and 8.55 N, respectively.
