GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Power take-off (PTO) and control systems can be improved to increase the efficiency of the whole converter, to increase reliability by controlling for instance the structuring health and power electronics, and to avoid extreme events that might compromise device survivability. Control systems dynamically adapt to and mitigate the forces of the continually changing ocean conditions. This can prevent damage during extreme events, contribute to increased performance and the viability of the technology. The manufacturing and testing of prototypes are relatively costly, and it is imperative that data from the demonstration are available to avoid repeating early engineering mistakes. Validation of the innovative concepts is expected to be done in realistic environments at small scale for longer periods or by onshore testing and controlled lab testing. If validation is done onshore the project should demonstrate that they can make use of existing test rigs or develop a test rig for the project, which can be used after the project by other developers. Development and demonstration of the PTO technology should be combined with control strategies as their requirements are inherently coupled.