WEC-Sim

_images/wec_sim_header.png

WEC-Sim (Wave Energy Converter SIMulator)

WEC-Sim (Wave Energy Converter SIMulator) is an open-source wave energy converter (WEC) simulation tool. The code is developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK using the multi-body dynamics solver SimMechanics. WEC-Sim has the ability to model devices that are comprised of rigid bodies, power-take-off systems, and mooring systems. Simulations are performed in the time-domain by solving the governing WEC equations of motion in 6 degrees-of-freedom. The WEC-Sim project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind and Water Power Technologies Office and the code development effort is a collaboration between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL).

WEC-Sim Developers

Project PIs

  • Yi-Hsiang Yu (NREL)
  • Kelley Ruehl (Sandia)

Contributors

  • Michael Lawson (NREL)
  • Carlos Michelen (Sandia)
  • Nathan Tom (NREL)
  • Jennifer Van Rij (NREL)
  • Ratanak So (Oregon State University)
  • Matt Hall (University of Prince Edward Island)
  • Adam Nelessen (Georgia Tech)
  • Sam Kanner (University of California at Berkeley)
  • Chris McComb (Carnegie Mellon University)

References:

[1] Y. Yu, M. Lawson, K. Ruehl, and C. Michelen, “Development and Demonstration of the WEC-Sim Wave Energy Converter Simulation Tool,” in Proceedings of the 2nd Marine Energy Technology Symposium, Seattle, WA, 2014.

[2] Y. Yu, Y. Li, K. Hallett, and C. Hotimsky, “Design and Analysis for a Floating Oscillating Surge Wave Energy Converter,” in Proceedings of OMAE 2014, San Francisco, CA, 2014.

[3] M. Lawson, Y. Yu, A. Nelessen, K. Ruehl, and C. Michelen, “Implementing Nonlinear Buoyancy and Excitation Forces in the WEC-Sim Wave Energy Converter Modeling Tool,” in Proceedings of OMAE 2014, San Francisco, CA, 2014.

[4] K. Ruehl, C. Michelen, S. Kanner, M. Lawson, and Y. Yu, “Preliminary Verification and Validation of WEC-Sim, an Open-Source Wave Energy Converter Design Tool,” in Proceedings of OMAE 2014, San Francisco, CA, 2014.

[5] M. Lawson, Y.-H. Yu, K. Ruehl, and C. Michelen, “Improving and Validating the WEC-Sim Wave Energy Converter Code,” in Proceedings of the 3rd Marine Energy Technology Symposium, DC, 2015.

[6] N. Tom, M. Lawson, and Y. Yu, “Demonstration of the Recent Additions in Modeling Capabilities for the WEC-Sim Wave Energy Converter Design Tool,” in Proceedings of OMAE 2015, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, 2015.

[7] R. So, A. Simmons, T. Brekken, K. Ruehl, and C. Michelen, “Development of PTO-SIM: A Power Performance Module for the Open-Source Wave Energy Converter Code WEC-SIM,” in Proceedings of OMAE 2015, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, 2015.

[8] M. Lawson, B. Garzon, F. Wendt, Y. Yu, and C. Michelen, “COER Hydrodynamics Modeling Competition: Modeling the Dynamic Response of a Floating Body Using the WEC-SIM and FAST Simulation Tools,” in Proceedings of OMAE 2015, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, 2015.

[9] N. Tom, M. Lawson, and Y. Yu, “Recent Additions in the Modeling Capabilities for the WEC-Sim-v1.1 Wave Energy Converter Design Tool,” in Proceedings of ISOPE, Kona, HI, 2015.

[10] R. So, S. Casey, S. Kanner, A. Simmons, and Brekken, T. K. A., “PTO-Sim: Development of a Power Take Off Modeling Tool for Ocean Wave Energy Conversion,” in Proceedings of IEEE PES, 2015.

[11] A. Simmons, T. Brekken, P. Lomonaco, and C. Michelen, “Creating a Dynamometer for Experimental Validation of Power Take-Off Forces on a Wave Energy Converter,” in Proceedings of SusTech, 2015.

[12] A. Combourieu, M. Lawson, A. Babarit, K. Ruehl, A. Roy, R. Costello, P. L. Weywada, and H. Bailey, “WEC3: Wave Energy Converters modeling Code Comparison project,” in Proceedings of EWTEC 2015, Nantes, France, 2015.

[13] B. Bosma, K. Ruehl, A. Simmons, B. Gunawan, P. Lomonaco, and C. Kelley, “WEC-Sim Phase 1 Validation Testing – Experimental Setup and Initial Results,” in Proceedings of OMAE 2016, Busan, South Korea, 2016.

[14] K. Ruehl, C. Michelen, B. Bosma, and Y.-H. Yu, “WEC-Sim Phase 1 Validation Testing – Numerical Modeling of Experiments,” in Proceedings of OMAE 2016, Busan, South Korea, 2016. 

[15] Sirnivas S., Yu Y.-H., Hall M., and Bosma B., 2016, “Coupled Mooring Analyses for the WEC-Sim Wave Energy Converter Design Tool,” 35th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering, OMAE, Busan, South Korea.

[16] Quon E., Platt A., Yu Y., and Lawson M., 2016, “Application of the Most Likely Extreme Response Method for Wave Energy Converters,” 35th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering, OMAE, ed., OMAE, Busan, South Korea.

WEC-Sim can be downloaded from the GitHub website.

 

Programming Language:     Technology:     Wind and Water Tools:

You must log in to download this software.

If you want to refer to this website in a report, here is a reference you can use:
NWTC Information Portal (WEC-Sim).  https://nwtc.nrel.gov/WEC-Sim. Last modified 20-September-2016 ; Accessed 07-January-2017