Alternative Energy Harvesting for Small Watercraft

Ocean wave power is an enormous renewable resource estimated to possess energy densities 15-20 times higher than that of wind or solar. Yet, it has been almost completely untapped in practical, cost effective applications. To overcome the limitations of past technologies and address the Navy"s requirements, we propose to develop an innovative new approach to harvesting this energy and converting it directly to electric power for use onboard unmanned lightweight watercraft. The generated power can be used for propulsion and to supply electronic systems onboard, thereby extending watercraft range and operational capability. Phase I of the project will develop and validate the details of our energy harvesting system concept. Our approach will require assembly of special materials using nano-fabrication techniques that our team has pioneered in past work to produce the uniform, multilayered thin films necessary to achieve high levels of power generation. Our optimized design is expected to reach power densities at least two orders of magnitude higher than previous ocean wave harvesting technologies and to provide a system with superior durability, scalability and cost-effectiveness. The proposed technology will lay the groundwork for many future military and commercial energy harvesting systems.