On establishing an analytical power capture limit for self-reacting point absorber wave energy converters based on dynamic response

In this work, we develop and demonstrate a procedure, built on the mechanical circuit framework, to identify this upper bound for a self-reacting point absorber with an inertial modulation mechanism performing the geometry control. We illustrate how the analytical procedure generates generic design guidance, required to achieve the bound, without committing to a specific technology. We follow by formally introducing a new technology into the wave energy community, the inerter, capable of implementing the design guidance to enact the required geometry control. Finally, we apply the analytics within a numerical case study of a previously published wave energy converter configuration, and compare the power capture production of that device to one with equivalent hydrodynamics, but with the new geometry control feature set suggested by the new analytical procedure. Our analysis reveals the potential for a ten-fold increase in power capture even under stringent relative displacement constraints.