• Energy Research

Abstract Significant wave height prediction for the following hours is a necessity for the planning and operation of wave energy devices. For a site-specific and short-term prediction, classical numerical wave forecasting methods may not be justified as exhaustive climatological data and huge computational power are needed. In this paper, a combination of a decomposition approach and long short-term memory network was presented to forecast the significant wave heights. An improved version of complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition algorithm and recurrence quantification analysis were applied to separate the original time series into deterministic and stochastic components. Each decomposed series was forecasted by the long short-term memory network and the final predicted significant wave heights were obtained by integrating the deterministic and stochastic predictions. Wave data measured at three buoy stations along the eastern coast of the United States were utilized to verify the hybrid model. The performance of the proposed method in three different wave height ranges was evaluated. The results suggested that the hybrid model outperformed the stand-alone long short-term memory network adjusted on the unseparated signal; in particular, for longer lead times and larger wave heights.

In wind resource assessment research, mixture models are gaining importance due to the complex characteristics of wind data. The precision of parameter estimations for these models is paramount, as it directly affects the reliability of wind energy forecasts. Traditionally, the expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm has served as a primary tool for such estimations. However, challenges are often encountered with this method when handling complex probability distributions. Given these limitations, the objective of this study is to propose a new clustering algorithm, designed to transform mixture distribution models into simpler probability clusters. To validate its efficacy, a numerical experiment was conducted, and its outcomes were compared with those derived from the established EM algorithm. The results demonstrated a significant alignment between the new method and the traditional EM approach, indicating that comparable accuracy can be achieved without the need for solving complex nonlinear equations. Moreover, the new algorithm was utilized to examine the joint probabilistic structure of wind speed and air density in China’s coastal regions. Notably, the clustering algorithm demonstrated its robustness, with the root mean square error value being notably minimal and the coefficient of determination exceeding 0.9. The proposed approach is suggested as a compelling alternative for parameter estimation in mixture models, particularly when dealing with complex probability models.