Work on the control system design has focused on the development of a new analytical model which can be used to develop model-based control systems for the LiftWEC device. The mechanical model is based on Newton’s second law for rotation. Rotation is considered in two-dimensional potential flow for both monochromatic and panchromatic waves, including waves generated by the rotating rotor, and including accountancy for viscous losses.

In developing this model, a set of new, exact analytic functions have been derived which give the free surface perturbation and induced fluid velocity field caused by hydrofoil rotation. These new formulae significantly decrease model calculation time and increase the accuracy of results compared to earlier approximations. The new equations have been successfully validated against both physical and numerical results published by two independent research groups. The potential representation of hydrofoils as both point sources and thin chords has been investigated during this work. A number of academic articles detailing these works are currently under review for publication.