The objective of the HIL4PTO project is experimentally investigate, test and develop a generic oil-hydraulic PTO concept for different wave energy converters and to make it to evolve until a technological maturity level of 4. The research will cover several system control strategies and architectural incremental innovations, conceived in order to solve two important technical contradictions, efficiency vs. reliability and wave energy extraction vs. system size. This experimental approach will be based on a hybrid simulation of PTO real and numerically modeled components and performed in an oil-hydraulic PTO test bench. On the other hand, it is intended to leverage the future utilization of this hybrid simulator, after the project conclusion, in order to provide testing services to entities with activities in the offshore renewable energies, either in person or remotely with the help of information and communication technologies.
