Ocean wave energy harvesting with a piezoelectric coupled buoy structure

• A new technique is proposed to realize an energy harvesting in deep ocean water.
• A mathematical model and results are presented to guide a buoy optimal design.
• 24 W electrical power can be generated by the piezo-harvester with a proper dimension.

An expedient piezoelectric coupled buoy energy harvester from ocean waves is developed. The harvester is made of several piezoelectric coupled cantilevers attached to a floating buoy structure, which can be easily suspended in the intermediate and deep ocean for energy harvesting. In the buoy structure, a slender cylindrical floater is attached on a large sinker. The energy harvesting process is realized by converting the transverse ocean wave energy to the electrical energy via the piezoelectric patches mounted on the cantilevers fixed on the buoy. A smart design of the buoy structure is developed to increase the energy harvesting efficiency by investigation of the effects of the sizes of the floater and the sinker. A numerical model is presented to calculate the generated electric power from buoy energy harvester. The research findings show that up to 24 W electric power can be generated by the proposed expedient buoy harvester with the length of the piezoelectric cantilevers of 1 m and the length of the buoy of 20 m. The technique proposed in this research can provide an expedient, feasible and stable energy supply from the floating buoy structure.