Novel piezoelectric-based ocean wave energy harvesting from offshore buoys

• Published in: Applied ocean research 2018-07, Vol.76, p.174-183
• Main Authors: Nabavi, Seyedeh Fatemeh, Farshidianfar, Anooshiravan, Afsharfard, Aref
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Buoy; Buoys; Electromagnetics; Energy harvesting; Energy resources; Energy sources; Equations of motion; Low frequency; Ocean wave; Ocean waves; Offshore; Piezoelectric; Surface water waves; Vibration; Wave energy; Wave frequency; Wave height
• ISSN: 0141-1187; 1879-1549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apor.2018.05.005

•In this study, a beam-column piezoelectric-based energy harvesting system is presented as an ocean wave energy harvester.•The electromechanical equations of motion for the energy harvesting system are derived and experimentally validated.•The buoys are considered as the ocean wave energy absorber systems.•Energy harvesting from the buoy, which is subjected to large wave height and low frequency, is more efficient. Ocean wave energy is one of the huge energy sources, which easily wasted around us. Because of low frequency of the ocean waves, less attention has been paid on vibration-based energy harvesting from this energy source. In this study, a novel beam-column piezoelectric-based energy harvesting system is studied, which can be optimally used as an Ocean Wave Energy Harvester (OWEH). In doing so, the electromechanical equations of motion for the energy harvesting system are accurately derived. The results, which are obtained using the governing equations, are validated by experimental results. Then application of the presented energy harvesting system, which is installed in offshore buoys, is studied. It is shown that harvested energy is enough to provide needed energy of the electrical devices in the buoy. It is shown that the energy harvesting system in the buoy, which is subjected to large wave height and low frequency, is more efficient. Finally, application of the self-tuning buoy, which works based on the ocean wave frequency, is studied. The presented novel system opens new field of research that helps to use the ocean wave energy in a proper way.