Mechanical design and simulation of an onshore four-bar wave energy converter

The paper presents the design of an onshore Wave Energy Converter (WEC) named ALETTONE (At Least Energy Thanks To Neptune), which is characterized by a low cost mechanical architecture based on a four-bar linkage with mobility in a vertical plane. The lower link is a floating rocker arm moved by the hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces exerted by the sea water, whereas the upper rocker arm is connected to a rotating electric generator via a transmission composed of either a single or a pair of one-way clutches coupled to a speed multiplier gearbox. Due to its simplicity, this WEC concept seems to be an interesting solution for energy generation in isolated locations. After a description of the overall design, the dynamic model of the system is presented, along with simulation results in case of monochromatic and panchromatic waves.