Magallanes project: testing the marine tidal current platform in the “Ría of Vigo”

In this study, the behavior of a platform for tidal energy is analyzed. The turbine of this platform is formed by two counter-rotating rotors aligned with the tidal current, such that one rotor is always under the wake of the upstream rotor. The platform has been tested by towing it with a tugboat to emulate tidal currents. The results of these tests are analyzed in this paper in order to estimate the generation capabilities of the platform.Peer Reviewe

Detailed energy analysis of a sheet-metal-forming press from electrical measurements

This paper presents a methodology that allows for the detection of the state of a sheet-metal-forming press, the parts being produced, their cadence, and the energy demand for each unit produced. For this purpose, only electrical measurements are used. The proposed analysis is conducted at the level of the press subsystems: main motor, transfer module, cushion, and auxiliary systems, and is intended to count, classify, and monitor the production of pressed parts. The power data are collected every 20 ms and show cyclic behavior, which is the basis for the presented methodology. A neural network (NN) based on heuristic rules is developed to estimate the press states. Then, the production period is determined from the power data using a least squares method to obtain normalized harmonic coefficients. These are the basis for a second NN dedicated to identifying the parts in production. The global error in estimating the parts being produced is under 1%. The resulting information could be handy in determining relevant information regarding the press behavior, such as energy per part, which is necessary in order to evaluate the energy performance of the press under different production conditions.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. IN854A 2020/0

A STATCOM with supercapacitors for low-voltage ride-through in fixed-speed wind turbines

Fixed-speed wind generator (FSWG) technology has an important presence in countries where wind energy started to be developed more than a decade ago. This type of technology cannot be directly adapted to the grid codes, for example those requirements related to the immunity level under voltage dips. That behavior is typically referred as low-voltage ride through (LVRT), and it usually implies certain reactive and active power injection requirements, both during a voltage dip and during the voltage recovery. In this context, a review is presented of the LVRT exigencies present in some of the countries with the most advanced grid codes (Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom). In this paper, the capabilities of STATCOM-based devices for fulfilling the LVRT requirements in FSWGs are analyzed. For this purpose, two technologies are considered: a STATCOM with a supercapacitor, which improves its energy storage features; and a STATCOM with a supercapacitor and a DC-DC converter, to achieve higher discharge levels.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. ENE 2009-1307

Performance evaluation and modelling of the Atir marine current turbine

In this study, the behaviour of a full-size prototype of a platform for tidal energy was analysed. The turbine of this platform is formed by two counter-rotating rotors aligned with the tidal current, such that one rotor is always under the wake of the upstream rotor. The platform was tested under real working conditions; the tidal current was emulated by towing. The results of these tests were used to develop and parameterize a turbine model, which is presented in this paper. The turbine was modelled in terms of power, torque, and thrust coefficients. This model was used to estimate the power curve of the platform and design control strategies that, in addition to maximizing energy production, contribute to the stability of the platform.European Commission | Ref. H2020 Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies, n. 73062