Wave Energy Converter

This project originated from a moment of inspiration while on a boat during a holiday. Observing the massive energy expended as the multi-ton vessel rose and fell with the waves, I recognized an untapped opportunity for energy harvesting.

After researching existing wave energy conversion technologies, I discovered that current approaches either place turbines beneath the ocean or use dedicated buoys at the water's surface. What struck me as a significant oversight was that no one had attempted to leverage the existing fleet of boats worldwide as platforms for wave energy conversion - effectively wasting both space and resources by building separate expensive buoy systems.

My innovation was to develop a device that could be modularly attached to any boat, using the vessel's own weight as the primary mechanism for energy generation. The final design, which emerged after approximately ten prototypes, functions through a clever physical mechanism:

1. The device attaches via a wire to the boat's bow while floating on the surface 2. Expandable air-filled arms ensure the device remains buoyant on the water surface 3. A specially designed water-catching sleeve or membrane captures water as the boat moves 4. When the boat rises with a wave, it pulls a piston mechanism which compresses the water inside the device 5. This compression drives a turbine connected to a generator 6. The captured water creates resistance that keeps the device in position, preventing it from being pulled out of the water

What makes this particularly efficient is that removing the device from the water would require overcoming not just the weight of the device itself, but also the substantial weight of the water captured in the membrane - creating an effective anchor that maintains optimal positioning.

Although I didn't have access to boats for real-world testing, I successfully demonstrated the concept in a bathtub environment, where manually pulling the piston generated enough electricity to charge a smartphone.

The system is designed for maximum practicality, with 3D-printed components and a collapsible structure that can be easily transported when retracted, then expanded for deployment. The design uses inexpensive components, making it accessible for widespread adoption.

The technology shows the most promise for medium-sized boats - vessels heavy enough to generate significant energy through wave motion but not so large that they remain stable in typical wave conditions. Future development plans include testing in actual ocean conditions with various boat sizes to optimize the design for real-world applications.