to be done in this area. Face recognition is a problem that scarcely clamoured for attention before the computer age but, having surfaced, has involved a wide range of techniques and has attracted the attention of some fine minds (David Mumford was a Fields Medallist in 1974). This singular application of mathematical modelling to a messy applied problem of obvious utility and importance but with no unique solution is a pretty one to share with students: perhaps, returning to the source of our opening quotation, we may invert Duncan's earlier observation, 'There is an art to find the mind's construction in the face!'.

Linear and nonlinear waves, by G. B. Whitham. Pp.636. £50. 1999. ISBN 0 471 35942 4 (Wiley).

The Galician coast (NW Spain) is a region that is strongly influenced by the presence of low pressure systems in the mid-Atlantic Ocean and the periodic passage of storms that give rise to severe sea states. Since its wave climate is one of the most energetic in Europe, the objectives of this paper were twofold. The first objective was to characterize the most extreme wave height events in Galicia over the wintertime of a two-year period (2015–2016) by using reliable high-frequency radar wave parameters in concert with predictions from a regional wave (WAV) forecasting system running operationally in the Iberia-Biscay-Ireland (IBI) area, denominatedIBI-WAV. The second objective was to showcase the application of satellite wave altimetry (in particular, remote-sensed three-hourly wave height estimations) for the daily skill assessment of the IBI-WAV model product. Special attention was focused on monitoring Ophelia—one of the major hurricanes on record in the easternmost Atlantic—during its 3-day track over Ireland and the UK (15–17 October 2017). Overall, the results reveal the significant accuracy of IBI-WAV forecasts and prove that a combined observational and modeling approach can provide a comprehensive characterization of severe wave conditions in coastal areas and shows the benefits from the complementary nature of both systems.

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Extreme Wave Height Events in NW Spain: A Combined Multi-Sensor and Model Approach.

Wave energy is arguably one of the most promising renewables. Less developed at present than other renewables, the existing models to estimate the costs of a wave energy project are often oversimplified, and the resulting scatter in the economic assessments weighs on the confidence of potential investors and constitutes therefore an impediment to the development of wave energy. Indeed, understanding the costs of wave energy is one of the main fields of research in marine renewable energy. In this context, the main objective of this paper is to review all the factors that must be considered in an economic analysis of wave energy, including a number of elements that are usually overlooked. In the process we characterise the direct and indirect costs of a wave farm – preliminary costs, construction, operation and maintenance and decommissioning cost – as well as its prospective incomes. For each of them a reference value is presented, together with a generic formula for its calculation. Moreover, the levelised cost, i.e., the production cost of an energy unit (1 kW h), is compared between various energy sources, and on these grounds conclusions on the profitability and competitiveness of wave energy are drawn. In sum, this work reviews the state of the art and sets the basis for a thorough economic analysis of wave energy.

The economics of wave energy: A review

One of the most abundant energy sources exists in this world is the ocean wave energy. By far, it has shown to be the most clean, renewable, predicted energy and has raised the potential to compete with the current use of non-renewable energy sources. Recent research conducted on wave energy invention has opened a new dimension to slowly reduce the dependency on fossil fuel by introducing new technology on the renewable world but relatively lacking in economical aspect. This review brings the latest status on integration of wave energy device with other marine facilities, which is the breakwater structure that may possibly aid to cost sharing. Most researches done on this field highlighted countries experiencing rough sea condition and focused less on countries with medium wave condition as faced by the Asian continent. The potential for energy extraction and wave dissipation for medium wave condition will be discussed in this review by considering several aspects including reliability, effectiveness and performance. Finally, this review shows that the integration opens up a new dimension to acknowledge the technology harnessing ocean wave, especially for the Asian countries experiencing medium wave condition.

Wave energy device and breakwater integration: A review

Atlas of global wave energy from 10 years of reanalysis and hindcast data

Wave energy potential in Galicia (NW Spain)

This article analyzes two modular power converter concepts, cascaded H-bridges (CHB) and modular multilevel converter (MMC) topologies, with special attention to the latter design. Both concepts have some characteristics in common and can provide the required functionalities for power electronic transformers (PETs). This analysis will cover aspects like the number of required cells, characteristics of the power devices, functionalities, and potential uses.

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Mario Lopez

Papers

Wave energy potential in Galicia (NW Spain)

Modular Power Electronic Transformers: Modular Multilevel Converter Versus Cascaded H-Bridge Solutions

Assessing the optimal location for a shoreline wave energy converter

On the wave energy resource of Peru

A proposed wave farm on the Galician coast