Nvidia Omniverse digital twin could turn ocean waves into power for data centers

A new smart digital twin that uses Nvidia’s Omniverse platform could reportedly make ocean waves a more predictable source of clean electricity and bring wave-powered data centers closer to reality. Israeli renewable energy company Eco Wave Power announced on November 2 that it had completed the first phase of its digital twin project. The initiative was carried out together with Germany’s engineering and technology company AI Engineering GmbH. The new technology creates a virtual model of how ocean waves interact with their equipment. It uses machine learning to predict electricity output and to boost the performance under different sea conditions. It could also power future coastal AI data centers with ocean waves. “Wave energy is a particularly challenging engineering problem because it combines complex free-surface fluid dynamics, structural motion, and highly variable environmental conditions,” Stefan Adami, PhD, co-founder and general manager of AI engineering GmbH, pointed out. Predicting wave power Eco Wave Power already uses floating devices attached to piers and breakwaters to generate electricity from ocean waves. However, predicting how much energy they can generate remains a massive challenge, as ocean conditions continuously change. To tackle the challenge, the team came up with a physics-based digital twin that simulates how waves interact with its floating devices. The first phase focused on analyzing wave forces, floater movement, structural loads, and electricity generation under different conditions. Eco Wave Power’s wave energy system.Credit: Eco Wave Power It also uses machine learning to predict electricity output and the forces affecting the equipment. The effort also relies on NVIDIA Omniverse for virtual simulations and uses NVIDIA Warp and advanced computing technology for testing. Both Eco Wave Power US and AI Engineering GmbH are members of the NVIDIA Inception program. “We are building the digital intelligence around our physical technology,” Inna Braverman, Eco Wave Power founder and CEO, added. Braverman said combining their technology with AI and digital twins could improve performance predictions, optimize equipment before installation, and speed up future improvements. The company also explored whether the digital model could be adapted to other locations with different wave conditions. Clean power from the sea The technology could also bring wave energy to future AI data centers, according to the company. Data centers already account for 1.5 percent of global electricity use. However, their power consumption is expected to rise by 15 percent annually through 2030. The company is certain that ocean waves could become an alternative renewable energy source for coastal computing infrastructure. “Over time, combining these physics models with machine learning can support more accurate forecasting, design optimization, and scalable deployment of wave energy technology,” Adami stated in a press release. Eco Wave Power’s wave energy converters installed along a seawall.Credit: Eco Wave Power Eco Wave Power is already in discussions with several data center developers and infrastructure partners about delivering wave electricity. “Our discussions with data-center developers are an important part of understanding how wave energy can become a practical part of the future energy mix for AI infrastructure, particularly in coastal locations,” Braverman concluded. The company now plans to expand the digital twin to include its hydraulic and mechanical systems. It will also use real sensor and electricity data to improve energy predictions and system performance with AI.Get the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Based in Skopje, North Macedonia. Her work has appeared in Daily Mail, Mirror, Daily Star, Yahoo, NationalWorld, Newsweek, Press Gazette and others. She covers stories on batteries, wind energy, sustainable shipping and new discoveries. When she's not chasing the next big science story, she's traveling, exploring new cultures, or enjoying good food with even better wine.