Micro-scale wave energy generation for autonomous sensors and robotics
While research in wave energy converter (WEC) design and technology has continued to advance toward grid-scale implementation, there is a new interest in simultaneously exploring the development of much smaller-scale ‘MicroWEC’ wave energy systems. This interest is borne of multiple potential benefits, but perhaps of most interest is the provision of small quantities of power in locations where other sources are intractable; in particular remote ocean sensing applications and offshore charging for autonomous robots, but also many others.
The applications that could benefit the most are those that are defined by power availability and currently rely upon battery storage, transported fuels, or small-scale photovoltaics, but do not currently capitalize on the local wave resource. Provision of long-term power in this way opens up new possibilities for mission profiles and sensor deployments.
A general definition of the MicroWEC category can be taken loosely as <200W with a physical footprint and mass that allow them to be handled by an individual. This definition is such that they can rapidly be designed, deployed, and have a wide range of potential implementation scenarios, making them attractive to researchers and offshore applications. However, the assumption that existing grid-scale WEC design and optimization efforts can simply be scaled down to meet the reduced power need of these potential applications is invalid. As the scale of power demand and the physical envelope of the WEC reduces, the design drivers and the technical challenges change significantly.
This presentation presents the concept, challenges and benefits of developing MicroWECs that are able to provide power for remote applications, enabling extended persistence and potentially rapid deployability.