Can Your Wave Energy Technology Survive the Ocean? - CleanTechnica

The article discusses SEA-Stack, an innovative, free, open-source modeling tool designed to help developers rapidly assess and optimize floating wave energy technologies and other water-based devices. SEA-Stack integrates multiple wave energy modeling capabilities into a single, user-friendly platform, enabling quick simulations ranging from simple design assessments to complex analyses that incorporate intricate ocean physics. Leveraging high-performance computing and machine learning, SEA-Stack is significantly faster—10 to 100 times—than previous tools and can process the latest wave energy data, making it a versatile "Swiss Army knife" for wave energy developers and related marine technology fields. Wave energy devices have strong potential to contribute to a secure and resilient power system by harnessing predictable ocean wave energy, but they face significant engineering challenges due to the harsh ocean environment. Traditional testing methods are costly and risky, as prototypes can fail or underperform when exposed to real ocean conditions. Existing modeling tools are limited in their ability to simulate critical features such as flexible device components, collisions, and