Modelling and Control of Marine Energy Systems

Marine energy systems (MES) are emerging as a leading contributor to a low-carbon future, offering abundant and predictable resources across a broad geographical area. In addition to wave and tidal devices; offshore floating wind farms, floating photovoltaic arrays, and salinity gradient technologies also offer potential solutions. As a result, the sector is undergoing a rapid maturation driven by advances in hydrodynamics, mechatronics, digital twins, and power electronics. Despite this, substantial challenges remain: harsh and unpredictable marine environments, complex multi-physics interactions, difficult operations and maintenance, and the eventual integration with variable onshore grids. Robust modelling and intelligent control are crucial to unlocking increased energy conversion efficiency, enhanced resilience, and reduced energy cost across the MES portfolio.

The goal of this Research Topic is to address the performance, reliability, and cost bottlenecks of current MES technologies by advancing physics-based and data-driven modelling, optimal design, and control methodologies. We seek contributions that improve resource-to-wire efficiency, enable fault tolerance and lifetime extension, and streamline deployment and operation through scalable, verifiable methods.

Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to:
- System modelling: high-fidelity and reduced-order models; coupled hydro-servo-elastic-electrothermal simulations; digital twins and real-time simulation; uncertainty quantification and Bayesian calibration.
- Control strategies: model predictive and robust control; adaptive and learning-based control (e.g., reinforcement learning with safety guarantees); extremum-seeking and impedance control for wave energy.
- Optimal design and co-design: optimization of device geometry, power take-off, moorings, and controllers; reliability- and fatigue-aware design; lifecycle cost modelling and design under uncertainty.
- Power electronics and grid integration: converters, DC collection, and HVDC links; grid-following vs. grid-forming control; frequency and voltage support; fault ride-through and black start; hybrid AC/DC architectures.
- Hybrid and multi-vector systems: combining offshore wind, wave, tidal, and floating solar systems; salinity gradient integration; co-location with energy storage (batteries, hydrogen, pumped storage) and power-to-X pathways.
- Monitoring, diagnostics, and resilience: condition monitoring, prognosis and health management, anomaly detection, cyber-physical security, and fault-tolerant control in harsh marine environments.
- Operations and logistics: autonomy for deployment, inspection, and maintenance; fleet-level scheduling; weather- and risk-informed decision support.
- Future directions: AI-enabled adaptive control.

By bringing together multi-disciplinary methods and real-world validation, this collection will highlight state-of-the-art solutions and chart the near-future roadmap for reliable, efficient, and cost-competitive marine energy systems.