Optimum MPPT Strategy for Low-Power Pendulum-Type Wave Energy Converters

Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) techniques for low-power pendulum-type Wave Energy Converters were evaluated. A Kinetic Energy Harvester previously designed, together with a Power Management Unit, were tested on a linear shaker to compare three MPPT techniques, the Constant Voltage versus two variants of the Fractional Open Circuit Voltage (FOCV). Results show a 25% improvement on the scavenged energy with one of the proposed FOCV techniques with respect to the other ones.