Non-resonant, rotary-drive wave energy conversion device for distributed remote sensing and communications applications

Remote sensing techniques in the ocean often rely on buoy platforms which utilize various instrumentation and communication equipment to measure and transmit real-time oceanographic and meteorological data. The operating lifetime, payload capacity, and sampling rate of such platforms are limited by onboard battery power, since typical systems can draw between tens to a few hundred Watts of continuous power during operation. Here, we describe a wave energy harvesting device (WEHD) which utilizes the heaving motion of a surface buoy to generate power over a broad range of sea-states and wave periods. This energy capture method is more energy dense than and complementary to solar harvesting. The heave-body design and results from laboratory tests and at-sea demonstration are presented.