Energy-harvesting Efficiency Analysis of Ocean Currents: Proposing a Flow-induced Vibration Power-Generation System with Linear Generator Damping

Bai, X.; Sun, M.; Niu, J.J.; Sun, H., and Sun, L.P., 2023. Energy-harvesting efficiency analysis of ocean currents: Proposing a flow-induced vibration power-generation system with linear generator damping. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(1), 73–82. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. The ocean current energy generation based on flow-induced vibration has mostly adopted a rotary generator, until now. In consideration of the possible shortcomings of the Vortex Induced Vibration for Aquatic Clean Energy system based on the rotary generator, this paper proposes a flow-induced coupling between the linear generator and the vibrator. For the vibration power-generation system model, this paper proposes a flow-induced vibration power-generation system model, in which the linear generator is directly coupled to the vibrator and the energy-harvesting efficiency is analyzed through numerical research methods. Results show that when the reduced velocity is 3.6 to 8.4, the energy conversion efficiency is greater and when the reduced velocity is 4.8 and the damping ratio is no more than 0.2, the maximum value of the energy conversion is 15.9%. The optimal efficiency can be achieved with the best combination of reduced velocity and damping ratio.