In the Caribbean, there are no wave tank facilities for testing heaving wave energy devices. Testing can either be done at sea or shipped to the United States. Difficulties are evident such as the high risk involved, high cost, logistical difficulties, unpredictable weather conditions and a lack of an accessible controlled environment. Considering these challenges, a more efficient, safe, and cost-efficient method is needed. A testing device needs to use less man power (e.g. not having to go out to sea) and take up less space (e.g. a wave pool requires a large area for testing >20,000sq ft). In addition, it would be desirable to have an indoor device that uses no water so that testing would not be dependent on external weather conditions or wave conditions.

Dr. Aneil Ramkhalawan address this problem in his doctoral work by developing a novel hydraulic based Heaving Wave Force Simulator. A prototype was designed, fabricated and tested to help improve safety, efficiency and cost effectiveness of heaving wave energy devices. The device can simulate the heaving response of a buoy on deep water ocean waves. Firstly, a mathematical model of a heaving device coupled with wave data was developed using Matlab/Simulink and validated via wave data from the South Eastern Coast of Trinidad (courtesy Coastal Dynamics). The Simulator was then designed using a hydraulics system and developed using Automation Studio. Finally, the validated mathematical model was used to control the Heaving Wave Force Simulator to replicated real-world wave conditions.

The prototype Simulator simulates the displacement of the heaving body with an associated force. A PID controller was used to govern the motion of the hydraulic actuator with the error being +/- 3%. The success of the prototype demonstrates the feasibility of using a Heaving Wave Force Simulator as a new option for testing heaving wave energy devices. The results have been published in The Journal of The Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago. The Department of Design and Manufacturing Engineering congratulates Dr. Aneil Ramkhalawan on this significant achievement.

Publication: Prakash Persad, Nadine Sangster and Aneil Ramkhalawan (2016), “Design and Development of a Novel Heaving Wave Force Simulator”, The Journal of The Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (ISSN 1000 7924), Engineering for Sustainable Development in the Caribbean, Vol. 44, No. 1, April/May 2016.

Acknowledgements

Dr. Ramkhalawan would like to thank BPTT for the award of a research grant which funded this research work, Coastal Dynamics for the provision of wave data, Prof. Prakash Persad for his supervision and The UTT for supporting and promoting this research project. Also, thanks to the members of the Mechatronics group for their continued support.

Biography

Aneil Ramkhalawan obtained his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of the West Indies (UWI) and a Diploma in Process Plant Operations from The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). He was awarded the Best Mechanical Engineering project and Best Engineering project in the Faculty of Engineering in 2004 at UWI. This project also won Engineers Most Innovative Design award in the 2004 Building and Interior Trade Show (BITS). He completed his Ph.D. in the Design and Manufacturing Engineering Department where he conducted research in the area of wave-powered desalination with specific interest in the application and modelling of heaving buoys on the ocean waves for Renewable Energy purposes. He also works in the field of PID controls and its application to hydraulic systems. Aneil is a Research Assistant with the Mechatronics Group at The UTT and lectures in the Design and Manufacturing Engineering Programmes.