Design and Development of an Efficiently Harvesting Buoy-Type Wave Energy Converter

This paper presents an innovative approach to efficiently harvesting energy from ocean waves through a buoy-type Wave Energy Converter (WEC). The proposed methodology integrates a buoy, a Mechanical Motion Rectifier (MMR), a Motion Rectifier (MR), an Energy Storage Element (ESE), and an electric generator. A MATLAB-2023 model has been employed to assess the electrical power generated under varying wave heights and frequencies. Experimental data and numerical simulations reveal that the prototype Wave Energy Harvester (WEH) achieved a peak voltage of 6.7 V, peak power of 3.6 W, and an average power output of 8.5 mW, with an overall efficiency of 47.2% for the device’s actual size. Additionally, a theoretical analysis has been conducted to investigate the impact of incorporating additional buoys on the electrical power output.