A Comprehensive Review of Sea Wave Energy Converters: With Industry Focus and Future Artificial Intelligence Prospects

Abstract

Abstract. As the global demand for renewable energy sources increases, sea wave energy converters have emerged as a promising solution for harnessing the power of ocean waves. This review article provides an in-depth analysis of ocean and sea wave energy harvesting with a focus on some key aspects of wave energy converters, including different types of converters and power take-off systems, a critical review of control methods, challenges, and limitations of extracting sea wave power, and the potential for integration with other renewable energy resources like wind turbines. In this article, a wide range of wave energy converters is considered, with a focus on their operational principles, benefits, and drawbacks. Additionally, various power take-off systems are discussed, highlighting their structure and efficiency in converting the captured wave energy into electricity. Furthermore, this review examines the control strategies employed to maximize the extracted power and protect the system from potential damage caused by harsh ocean conditions. The challenges of implementing wave energy converters, including environmental impact, economic feasibility, and technical constraints, are also addressed, along with potential solutions to address related issues. Finally, prospects, including harvesting wave energy from an array of converters, developing strategies to integrate wave energy converters with other renewable energy resources such as wind energy and solar power, and innovative construction of wave harvesters, are examined. The future research directions and areas of progress are outlined.