Marine and Environment: Development and Testing of a Wave Powered Offshore Sensing System

Led by James VanZwieten, Ph.D.

REU Scholar: Areesh Sobhani

REU Scholar Home Institution: Purdue University

REU Mentor: James VanZwieten, Ph.D.

REU Scholar: Samuel Loving

REU Scholar Home Institution: Florida Atlantic University

REU Mentor: James VanZwieten, Ph.D.

Development and Testing of a Wave Powered Offshore Sensing System

This project focused on the repair, development, and documentation expansion of a small-scale Wave Energy Converter (WEC) designed to convert mechanical wave energy into electrical power. Initial plans were made to add power conditioning and environmental sensing systems to the WEC, but further examination found the device’s state to be worse than initially expected, largely due to the state of the system electronics. While technically functional, it was clear that clean-up was necessary before stable deployment would be possible. While rated for approximately thirty watts of power generation, tests indicated slightly more than half a watt in ideal conditions, and the strain monitoring system was nonfunctional. The existing software and electrical systems of the WEC were mapped, and a printed circuit board system was implemented in place of temporary jumper cables to increase the physical and signal strengths of the system and make the WEC more accessible for future research. In addition, repairs and improvements were made to the system's power, leak, and strain monitoring branches to add additional functionality, increasing perceived power generation in basic hand testing by around 1400%.