Applying Hardware-in-the-Loop capabilities to an ocean renewable energy device emulator

The medium-speed rotary emulator at the Lir National Ocean Test Facility (NOTF) at the MaREI Centre at University College Cork was developed to allow for rotating renewable energy converters to be physically tested prior to full development and deployment. This paper outlines processes used to characterise the medium-speed rotary emulator. The system was subjected to a number of tests to determine the engineering values of the electrical torque demand of the drive controllers. The testing was also used to determine the physical limitations of the emulator. The limitations were used to determine the scaling factor necessary to test an Oscillating Water Column (OWC) using the emulator, MATLAB-Simulink model, and Hardware-in-the-Loop system.