An Artificial Neural Network-Based Approach for Instantaneous Estimation of the Sea Surface Elevation in a Wave Farm

Many control strategies to maximise the captured power by wave energy converters depend on the knowledge of the incoming wave in a short term future. However, the wave prediction may be unpractical in a wave farm, since many measurement systems would be required. As a part of a prediction system, this paper presents an estimator of the instantaneous sea surface elevation in an open-field sea area for potential wave farm deployment based on a single measurement point. The approach is based on a time delay artificial neural network and the paper explores the performance of the estimation for a given field and the sensitivity to different sea characteristics. The proposed realisation of the artificial neural network is found to be accurate and robust, resulting in a useful tool for a wave prediction system in a farm for control purposes.