Next-Generation Wave Energy Converters: From Hydrodynamics to Power Electronics

The oceans represent a vast, predictable, and largely untapped renewable energy resource, with wave power holding the potential to deliver clean electricity to millions of coastal communities worldwide. Despite significant progress, the commercial deployment of wave energy converters (WECs) remains limited by challenges spanning hydrodynamic efficiency, structural integrity under extreme sea states, and the reliable conversion and delivery of power to the grid. This special issue aims to bridge the gap between fundamental research and industrial deployment by fostering a holistic, systems-level perspective that integrates advances in hydrodynamics, control theory, materials science, and power electronics. We invite original research, review articles, and case studies that showcase innovative solutions and cross-disciplinary integration across the entire WEC development chain.

Wave energy remains a largely untapped renewable resource, with commercial deployment hindered by poor survivability, low conversion efficiency, and high costs rooted in siloed subsystem design. Hydrodynamics, power take-off (PTO), and power electronics are traditionally optimized independently, creating performance mismatches and reliability failures under stochastic ocean conditions.

This Research Topic addresses these barriers by advocating a holistic, co-design paradigm that synchronizes advances across the entire energy conversion chain. Recent breakthroughs in AI-driven wave forecasting, real-time adaptive control, wide-bandgap semiconductors, and digital twin technology now enable integrated optimization—where hydrodynamic geometry informs PTO sizing, and control algorithms are co-developed with hardware constraints. By fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, this Topic aims to accelerate next-generation WECs that achieve higher capture efficiency, enhanced survivability, seamless grid integration, and reduced levelized cost of energy, ultimately bridging the gap between laboratory prototypes and scalable ocean deployments.

Key topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

(1) Hydrodynamics and Structural Design: Nonlinear wave-body interaction, multi-degree-of-freedom dynamic modeling, optimization of geometry for broadband absorption, coupled fluid-structure simulations, and fatigue-resistant materials for survivability in extreme and rogue wave conditions. Emphasis on experimental validation and scale testing methodologies is highly encouraged.

(2) Power Take-Off (PTO) Systems and Control: Emerging PTO architectures—including direct-drive generators, hydraulic transmissions, and dielectric elastomers—paired with advanced model-predictive, robust, and real-time adaptive control strategies. Focus on maximizing energy capture while ensuring component longevity under stochastic wave excitation.

(3) Power Electronics and Grid Integration: Highly efficient, fault-tolerant converter topologies (e.g., modular multilevel converters, resonant converters) tailored for slow, irregular wave power fluctuations. Topics include offshore DC microgrids, energy storage integration, grid-code compliance, fault ride-through, and the application of wide-bandgap semiconductors to improve power density and reliability.

(4) System-Level Analysis and Digitalization: Techno-economic assessments, life-cycle analyses, and reliability-centered maintenance strategies aimed at reducing levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Digital twin development, AI-driven condition monitoring, and array optimization for constructive interference are of particular interest.

(5) Demonstration and Validation: Lessons learned from sea trials and pilot farms, including instrumentation, data acquisition, performance metrics, and the development of open-access datasets to benchmark next-generation models.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Hydrodynamics; Power take-off; Survivability; System integration; Wave–body interaction

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.