Ocean Wave Harvesting by Piezoelectric Coupled Buoy
- Detailed Technology Description
- The Challenge Therecent development of low powered devices and appliances, such asLight-emitting diodes (LEDs), low cost wireless sensors and wireless accesspoints, has increased the interest in self-power techniques such as theharvesting of energy from ambient vibration. Among the available mechanic-to-electric energy conversion mechanisms,such as electromagnetic, electrostatic and piezoelectric transductions, theenergy density of the piezoelectric transduction is three times higher thanelectrostatic and electromagnetic transductions.Windand waves are two obvious sources of ambient energy. For various reasons, of the two, wave energyis a more appropriate choice and in fact it has been shown that that energyharvesting from ocean waves by piezoelectric materials is effective and is ableto generate sufficient electric power for small electric appliances. However, most of piezoelectric energyharvesting structures in current studies are designed to be fixed on the seabed, and hence are mostly applicable to shallow ocean and costly. It is obviousthat the amount of the ocean wave energy in the intermediate and deep oceanwith larger wave heights is much larger than the one in the shallow-water. Therefore, aneed exists for a more efficient and economical energy harvesting from intermediateand deep oceans.
- *Abstract
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The Technology
Addressingthe challenge, researchers at the University of Manitoba have developed anexpedient, piezoelectric coupled buoy energy harvester for harvesting energyfrom ocean waves. The harvester features several piezoelectric coupledcantilevers attached to a floating buoy structure, which can be easilysuspended in the intermediate and deep ocean for energy harvesting.
The buoy consists of a slender cylindrical floater attached on alarge sinker. The energy harvesting process is realized by converting thetransverse ocean wave energy to electrical energy via piezoelectric patchesmounted on the cantilevers that are fixed on the buoy. The design of the buoystructures floater and sinker has been optimized to increase the energyharvesting efficiency.
Currentlydevelopment is pre-prototype however models predict that up to 24 W electricpower can be generated by the proposed expedient buoy harvester given a lengthof the piezoelectric cantilevers of 1 m and the total length of the buoy of 15m.
CommercialUse
The technology is intended to beused in data buoys that are currently utilizing solar charged batteries, eitherto augment or replace the solar source. It is thought that a non-solar option would open new applications forsensor buoys.
PatentStatus
A US provisional patent application has been filedwith a priority date of April 28, 2013.
- *Inquiry
- RobertWerbowskyTechnologyManagerPh:+1(204)474.7865Email: robert.werbowesky@umanitoba.ca
- Country/Region
- USA
