Design of a wave-powered electric generator.

摘要

A growing necessity of the twenty-first century is larger scale and more abundant sources of renewable energy. Of the various sources of naturally occurring energy, wave power is perhaps the most underused and underdeveloped despite its great potential. This study is intended to design a new method of harvesting energy from waves on large bodies of water, as well as construct a prototype which will exemplify the potential of small waves (about thirty centimeters in height).;The design and prototype consist of a buoy fixed atop a vertical shaft which constricts the buoy's motion to up and down only, driving a gear train. The gearbox is mounted on a stationary platform and powers a generator.;The prototype employs a gear ratio of 37:1, with 4.5 cm of vertical motion required to input one rotation. The design is capable of exceeding the maximum 84 volt output of the generator (12000 RPM) using a Servotek Tachogenerator (model SA-740A, 7V/1000RPM) in waves as small as twenty-five centimeters.