Inducing Motion
MTU Wave features a 10 m x 3m x 1m Edinburgh Designs wave tank with eight independently controlled paddles with position and force feedback to generate desired wave fields propagating towards an adjustable 3m long curved high-density, polyethylene, energy-adsorbing beach.
- Glass wall for observation and imaging of underwater experiments.
- Max Wave Height = 0.25 m, Wave Bandwidth = 0.3 - 1.3 Hz (0.8 - 3.3 second period).
- Time-synchronized instrumentation, including an 11 camera, Qualisys motion tracker, wave gauges, a dSPACE MicroLabBox for data acquisition and control system implementation.
- Buoy dynamometer for applying motion while measuring forces on submerged bodies.
- Overhead-mounted, 6-axis Universal Robots UR10e for force or position manipulation of objects in the wave tank.
- Overhead walkway for easy access to the wave tank and for mounting of test equipment.
- Frictionless PTO WEC control testbed.
- MTU Wave was designed with wave energy converter (WEC) technology in mind.
- Research topics include control algorithm development, fundamental hydrodynamic phenomena, validation of numerical models, and wave force machine learning strategies.
- Large motion WECs, whose models require nonlinear terms exploitable by the control system, are of particular interest.
- Validation of a CFD model of MTU Wave for fundamental hydrodynamic studies, such as the damping behavior of porous structures.
- Testing mini-thruster technologies is another area where MTU Wave is well-suited
![Resistive type wave gauges to measure accurate wave elevation.](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_image/public/2023-04/mt_wave_tank_A29A7496.jpg?itok=yvNpWSXR)
Resistive type wave gauges to measure accurate wave elevation.
![Infrared Camera of Qualisys Motion Tracking System](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_image/public/2023-04/mt_wave_camera_monitoring_A48A3918.jpg?itok=pNXuThX6)
Infrared Camera of Qualisys Motion Tracking System
![Dr. Shangyan Zou with PhD student planning the underwater robot test.](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_image/public/2023-04/mt_wave_tank_researchers_IMG-2286.jpg?itok=KdaT9RGz)
Dr. Shangyan Zou with PhD student planning the underwater robot test.
![Free decay point absorber WEC test setup.](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_image/public/2023-04/mt_wave_buoy_20210429_163518.jpg?itok=5ALwHmz5)
Free decay point absorber WEC test setup.
![Parabolic energy-adsorbing beach.](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_image/public/2023-04/mt_wave_student-research_A29A7993.jpg?itok=_yth0eDP)
Parabolic energy-adsorbing beach.
![Custom wave profile design in Njord Wave Synthesis](/sites/default/files/styles/carousel_image/public/2023-04/mt_wave_tank_modeling_A29A7544.jpg?itok=0ElJH8hX)
Custom wave profile design in Njord Wave Synthesis
Qualisys Motion Tracking System – Body definitions and wave gauges locations.
Buoy Dynamometer
- Speed or force-controlled linear actuator, Stroke: 200mm, Max Speed: 25.4 mm/s
- Modular, water-proof load cell, Max. Force: 222N
Underwater Data/Power Transmitter
- Voltage: 24
- Max Power: 50 W
Software
- WAMIT
- MATLAB / Simulink / Simscape (95 toolboxes)
- dSPACE Control Desk
- WEC-Sim
- Wolfram System Modeler
- Njord Wave Synthesis (wave field synthesis)
![michigan tech wave tank](/sites/default/files/styles/site_max/public/2023-03/wave_tank_michigan_tech_A29A7387.jpg?itok=9OT45LzP)
Wave Tank Instrumentation & Software
- Dimensions (length, width, height): 10m x 3m x 1m
- Maximum wave height: 0.25 m
- Wave period range: 0.8 to 3.3 seconds
- Overhead access and walkway
- Custom wave field creation/analysis software
- Glass wall for underwater observation and imaging
- 11-camera Qualisys motion capture system
- 16 wave gauges
- dSPACE MicroLabBox (32 analogs in, 16 analog out, 48 digital I/O, two CAN, two serial, and one Gigabit ethernet)
- Data collection across all systems is time-synchronized
- Validated CFD model of the tank and the motion of any objects placed in it
Low-Friction Testbed
Our wave tank offers a Low-Friction Testbed for Model Scale Wave Energy Converter Control System Studies.
- Frictionless air bearings
- Controllable voice coil actuator (dSPACE), Stroke: 85 mm, max Force: 150N
- Non-contact LVIT position sensor, and load cell
- Easily changeable buoy attachment system.
- Time-Synchronized to the rest of MTU wave’s instrumentation - wave gauges, paddle commands,and motion tracking
![michigan tech wave tank](/sites/default/files/styles/site_max/public/2023-03/michigan_tech_wave_tank_technology_A48A2703.jpg?itok=MF8hFn4K)
The facility has ready access to several plastic 3D printers (VAT polymerization, material jetting, and Fused Deposition Modeling), a newly commissioned 3D Systems DMP Flex 350 metal printer, and a complete machine shop for buoy and fixture fabrication.