Control co-design for wave energy systems

Control co-design (CCD) has become a powerful paradigm in the total optimisation of the dynamics of a system against a defined performance goal. Given the impact of control on wave energy systems, including significant effects on motion and energy capture performance, it is imperative that controller and system are optimised together to maximise (economic) system performance. There are a number of design aspects that can usefully be addressed by CCD in wave energy systems, including device geometry, mooring configuration, power take-off (PTO) parameters, and array layout. A number of these design aspects present significant computational challenges and, as a result, wave energy CCD studies typically address a single design aspect at a time. This paper examines the useful roles that CCD can play in wave energy systems, important criteria to consider, and the potential interaction between individual wave energy CCD aspects.