Performance Period: 2012 -2013
RE Vision was tasked to develop a performance and extreme loads assessment software tool for a novel WEC device and use it to perform system levels optimization for a commercial client. RE Vision developed the computational model using its in-house code and validated these models using a series of wave tank tests. A significant number of design variations were investigated to optimize the system. Over 100,000 dynamic model runs were carried out on a computational cluster with 256 cores. All the structural components and dimensions were parametrically defined to allow for a fully coupled optimization process that minimizes cost of electricity while maintaining appropriate factors of safety in the structural design. Leveraging Re Vision’s techno-economic modeling capabilities, optimal design configurations were identified and refined.