Rafael Waters

Electrical Motor Drivelines in Commercial All-Electric Vehicles: A Review

This paper presents a critical review of the drivelines in all-electric vehicles (EVs). The motor topologies that are the best candidates to be used in EVs are presented. The advantages and disadvantages of each electric motor type are discussed from a system perspective. A survey of the electric motors used in commercial EVs is presented. The survey shows that car manufacturers are very conservative when it comes to introducing new technologies. Most of the EVs on the market mount a single induction or permanent-magnet (PM) motor with a traditional mechanic driveline with a differential. This paper illustrates that comparisons between the different motors are difficult by the large number of parameters and the lack of a recommended test scheme. The authors propose that a standardized drive cycle be used to test and compare motors.

Experimental results from sea trials of an offshore wave energy system

A full-scale prototype of a wave power plant has been installed off the Swedish west coast and the overall wave energy converter concept has been verified. Initial results have been collected and s ...

Wave power absorption: Experiments in open sea and simulation

A full scale prototype of a wave power plant based on a direct drive linear generator driven by a point absorber has been installed at the west coast of Sweden. In this paper, experimentally collected data of energy absorption for different electrical loads are used to verify a model of the wave power plant including the interactions of wave, buoy, generator, and external load circuit. The wave-buoy interaction is modeled with linear potential wave theory. The generator is modeled as a nonlinear mechanical damping function that is dependent on piston velocity and electric load. The results show good agreement between experiments and simulations. Potential wave theory is well suited for the modeling of a point absorber in normal operation and for the design of future converters. Moreover, the simulations are fast, which opens up for simulations of wave farms.

Catch the wave to electricity

The ocean are largely an untapped source of energy. However, compared to other energies, power fluctuations for ocean waves are small over longer periods of time. This paper present a grid-oriented approach to electricity production from ocean waves, utilizing a minimal amount of mechanical components.

Net load variability in Nordic countries with a highly or fully renewable power system

Increasing the share of intermittent renewable energy (IRE) resources such as solar, wind, wave and tidal energy in a power system poses a challenge in terms of increased net load variability. Full ...

Study of a Wave Energy Converter Connected to a Nonlinear Load

This paper presents experimental results from a wave energy converter (WEC) that is based on a linear generator connected to a rectifier and filter components. The converter-filter system is installed onshore, while the linear wave generator operates offshore a few kilometers from the Swedish west coast. The power from the generator has been rectified with a diode bridge and then filtered using a capacitive filter. Performance of the whole conversion system was studied using resistive loads connected across the filter. The aim was to investigate the operational characteristics of the generator while supplying a nonlinear load. By changing the value of the resistive component of the load, the speed of the translator can be changed and so also the damping of the generator. The power absorbed by the generator was studied at different sea states as well. The observations presented in this paper could be beneficial for the design of efficient wave energy conversion systems.

Wave Power Absorption as a Function of Water Level and Wave Height: Theory and Experiment

This paper investigates the sensitivity of a wave power system to variations in still water levels and significant wave heights. The system consists of a floating point absorber connected to a linear generator on the seabed. Changing still water levels are expected to affect the power absorption, since they will displace the equilibrium position for the generator translator. Similarly, changing significant wave heights will affect the rate at which the translator leaves the stator. Both these effects will in some cases result in a smaller active area of the stator. A theoretical expression to describe this effect is derived, and compared to measured experimental values for the wave energy converter L1 at the Lysekil research site. During the time of measurements, the still water levels at the site were in the range of [-0.70 m, +0.46 m ], and the significant wave heights in the range of [0 m, 2.7 m]. The experimental values exhibit characteristics similar to those of the theoretical expression, especially with changing significant wave heights.

Linear Generator Connected to a Resonance-Rectifier Circuit

This paper describes a linear direct driven generator used for wave energy utilization. The generator is placed on the seabed and connected to a buoy on the ocean surface. Due to the reciprocating motion of the translator, an electrical conversion system is needed between the wave energy converter (WEC) and the grid. Depending on how the conversion system is designed, the generator will be subjected to different loads. A novel conversion system is presented in this paper where the voltage from the WEC is rectified in a resonance circuit. Both simulations and experiments are performed on the circuit. The results from the simulations show that a higher power absorption and power production can be achieved with the resonance circuit compared to a WEC connected to a passive rectifier. A WEC, L9, developed by Uppsala University (Uppsala, Sweden) was used in the experiment. Significantly higher power absorption was obtained for L9 compared to power data from the first installed WEC, L1, at the Lysekil research site.

Experimental Results From an Offshore Wave Energy Converter

An offshore wave energy converter (WEC) was successfully launched at the Swedish west coast in the middle of March 2006. The WEC is based on a permanent magnet linear generator located on the sea f ...

Design proposal of electrical system for linear generator wave power plants

This paper describes an electrical system layout for a wave power plant connecting linear generators to the grid. The electrical power out from the wave energy converters must be converted before they can be connected to the grid. The conversion is carried out in marine substations that will be placed on the seabed. The paper presents experimental power data from a wave energy converter that has been in operation at the Lysekil research site since March 2006. Moreover, results and analyses from experiments and simulations from tests with the generator connected to a rectifier and filter are presented. A simulation is made to show the difference between having the generator connected to a linear load and a nonlinear load, which would be the case when the generator is connected to the grid.