Integrated wave power charging capability for ocean observing vehicles

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are a critical technology that is undergoing rapid adoption. Coupled with advances in modern robotics, AUVs are performing an increasing variety of essential commercial and military applications. AUVs are battery powered and operate with strict power budgets, so balancing mission duration with sensor load and data acquisition rate is critical. Extended duration missions require repeated retrieval and recharging operations, requiring the intervention of a support vessel, which adds significant cost, time and range limitations. Power is thus a key constraint for most AUVs and the addition of a self-recharging capability to an AUV would allow the unit to complete extended duration missions without the need to be recovered and would enable extended range, duration and significantly more science to be completed. OPI will work with a major US AUV manufacturer to develop a wave powered recharging capability (WPCS) that can be integrated into commercial AUVs providing a more than 5-fold increase in power over any previous wave-powered AUV charging system. This will allow AUVs to operate for significantly longer periods of time, potentially indefinitely and with greater capability. During the Phase I project, OPI will develop a robust and complete design of a WPCS for the A-Class AUV. This will involve extensive modeling of the AUV and WPCS to understand loads and power performance. This will also include physical model experimentation of the reaction structure and the construction of a full-size WPCS unit which will be extensively tested in the laboratory. Integration of a wave energy charging system into an AUV reduces the cost per mission, allows additional sensors, higher bandwidth communications and enables more complex missions. An expanded power budget will lead to greater mission flexibility and utilization of the AUV for a wider range of applications. This will facilitate more detailed ocean science, military operations and effective surveillance, by increasing the ability to collect data across wider areas, over longer durations, and with a higher fidelity.