The idea to use the motion of a wavy sea surface to produce electricity was investigate in the seventies, in a time when the earliest wave energy converters were conceived and developed. But nowadays still none of the patented devices reached a commercial stage. Wave energy is a large, mostly untapped, renewable energy resource that has the potential to contribute significantly to the future energy mix, especially in an environmental friendly future scenario. What is bounding the sector to roll off into the market is the cost of the produced energy: too high if compared with other renewable energy sources. Generally speaking, the devices have a low efficiency and a high structural cost. The aim of the thesis is to push the research toward a cost minimisation algorithm, based on numerical simulation, which account for both efficiency and structural cost of the device. In order to achieve this goal a reliable wave-to-wire (numerical) model is needed and a validation procedure based on experimental data sets have been used through the work.

Keywords: Wave energy, Wave energy converters, Optimisation, Wave-to-wire modelling, Numerical simulation, Laboratory experiment, Advance Control, Control, Cost reductions

A Case Study of Short-Term Wave Forecasting Based on FIR Filter:Optimisation of The Power Production for The Wavestar Device., Ferri, F. Sichani, M. T. and Frigaard, P. ISOPE-2012. June 2012, Citations

Validation of a Wave-Body Interaction Model by Experimental Tests., Ferri, F., Kramer, M.M. and Pecher, A.F. ISOPE-2013. June 2013, Citations

Experimental Study of an Offshore Wind Turbine TLP in ULS Conditions, Wehmeyer, C.$, Ferri, F., Skourup, J. and Frigaard P.B ISOPE-2013. July 2013, Citations

Non-Linear Numerical Modeling and Experimental Testing of a Point Absorber Wave Energy Converter., Zurkinden, A.S., Ferri, F., Beatty, S., Kofoed, J.P. and Kramer, M.M. Ocean Engineering, vol 78. January 2014, Citations

Balancing Power Output and Structural Fatigue of Wave Energy Converters by Means of Control Strategies., Ferri, F., Ambuhl, S., Fischer, B. and Kofoed, J.P. Energies, vol 7. April 2014, Citations

Hybrid Model Representation of a TLP Including Flexible Topsides in Non-Linear Regular Waves, Wehmeyer, C., Ferri, F., Andersen, M.T. and Pedersen, R.R. Energies, vol 7. August 2014, Citations

Experimental Assessment of The Mooring Influence on The Power Output of Floating Wave Activated Body Wecs., Angelelli, E., Zanuttigh, B., Ferri, F. and Kofoed, J.P. EWTEC 2013. September 2013, Citations

Optical Non-Contact Floating Object Tracking Using an Open-Source Library., Ferri, F., Andreoni, G., Persic, N., Levelle, J. and Kofoed, J.P. EWTEC 2013. September 2013, Citations