Wave Farm Flicker Severity: Comparative Analysis and Solutions

Thibaut Kovaltchouk (1) , Sara Armstrong (2) , Anne Blavette (1) , Hamid Ben Ahmed (1) , Bernard Multon (1)

1 SATIE - Systèmes et Applications des Technologies de l'Information et de l'Energie
2 MaREI - Marine Renewable Energy Ireland

This paper proposes a flicker severity study for Wave Energy Converter farms. The flicker severity is introduced and the reason why it is an important constraint for a wave farm is explained. A new representation called intrinsic flicker severity is introduced which describes the flicker severity independently of the grid. The influence of device type, its control and the sea-state on average production, flicker severity and on the ratio between flicker and production are studied with three types of devices: an Oscillating Water Column and two Direct Wave Energy Converters (two point absorbers: a Heaving Buoy and the SEAREV). The influence of the size and the placement of each unit in the wave farm is presented with a farm-unit flicker ratio, compared with the square-root of unit hypothesis (noise behavior), as a function of wave direction by taking into account wave direction dispersion. Finally, solutions are presented to reduce the flicker produced to comply with grid code requirements in order to allow grid integration of wave farms.

Keywords: Wave Energy; Wave Farm; Power Quality; Flicker; Oscilating Water Colum; Electrical Energy Storage

Domains: Engineering Sciences [physics]; Electric power

Thibaut Kovaltchouk, Sara Armstrong, Anne Blavette, Hamid Ben Ahmed, Bernard Multon. Wave Farm Flicker Severity: Comparative Analysis and Solutions. Renewable Energy, 2016, 91, pp.32-39. ⟨10.1016/j.renene.2016.01.034⟩. ⟨hal-01265905⟩