DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL SCALE OCEAN CURRENT AND WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER

摘要

The inability to tie into the electrical power grid drives mariners to search for alternative energy sources. One such alternative energy source is to harness the vast supply of kinetic and potential energies associated with ocean currents and waves. In the Ocean Current and Wave Energy Converter, a tandem system of an underwater turbine and a wave energy buoy is designed to provide power to a standard 12 volt marine battery. Subsurface energy in the form of current flow is harvested by a helical cross-flow Gorlov turbine. Kinetic surface wave energy is harnessed through an inertial mass system. This system utilizes a 360°, bidirectional, rotating mass enclosed in a spherical buoy that converts the pitching motion into rotational motion. Both subsystems are integrated together through the charging circuit. The charging system is designed to integrate multiple energy sources to maximize the total energy harnessed. Through testing and analysis, design improvements are identified and it is determined that the design of a small scale current flow and wave energy conversion system is a feasible solution to providing power from the ocean.