Experimental study of a navigational buoy powered by wave energy through triboelectric nanogenerators

Abstract

The I.nano.WEC project aims to develop the first marine buoy prototype integrating a highly efficient wave energy harvesting system based on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). The potential of such technology lies in its capability of efficiently harnessing low amplitude, low frequency wave energy and the application opportunities, namely related to continuous monitoring of environmental and human activities in remote oceanic locations. This paper describes the outputs obtained from the experimental study of a 1:8 scaled model of a navigational buoy with an integrated TENG. This model was studied under near-resonance and representative wave conditions. The results point towards a direct correlation between the TENGs power output and the surge, heave and pitch degrees of freedom, with the particular importance of each depending on the TENG configuration. Energy generation was maximized for wave periods close to the natural pitch period of the moored model and for the higher wave heights. (c) 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, London.