A probabilistic framework for fatigue damage of lift based wave energy converters

Arredondo-Galeana, Abel and Lamont-Kane, Paul and Shi, Weichao and Folley, Matt and Brennan, Feargal (2023) A probabilistic framework for fatigue damage of lift based wave energy converters. Proceedings of the European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference, 15. pp. 1-10. ISSN 2706-6940 (https://doi.org/10.36688/ewtec-2023-393)

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Abstract

Lift based wave energy converters (WECs) have shown great potential to harness the energy of the waves. This type of device extracts energy using wave-driven rotating foils in regular or irregular waves. However, as with all wave energy converters, lift based WECs are exposed to variable loading which may result in premature mechanical failure. Therefore, it is important to develop efficient fatigue analysis tools that help in predicting the lifetime of lift based WECs. In this paper, we test the hypothesis that when lift based WECs operate at constant rotational velocity in irregular waves, fatigue damage can be computed through a probabilistic approach. We consider a sample stress hot spot in the hydrofoils of the WEC. We compare the fatigue damage computed using a probabilistic approach with the damage computed using well established deterministic methods. We find that for sea states of high likelihood of occurrence, the probabilistic method is a useful tool in determining fatigue damage. This is a promising outlook since it confirms that the fatigue damage of lift based wave devices can be treated in a similar fashion to the fatigue damage of traditional offshore structures.

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