Watts From Waves ~ Year 2

E-Sphere: Buoy-less, biomimetic, versatile, low-impact, zero-carbon hydrokinetic device using Electromagnetic Induction (Novel Design)

Environmental and climate issues, as well as uncertainty about energy supply, demand a diversification of our energy to multiple renewable and clean sources. We need many renewable energy solutions working together, not just one, in order to meet the planet’s energy needs. Alongside the wave and tidal devices in the open ocean, we can also harness the billions of watts of energy continuously flowing in our fresh water bodies. This kinetic energy in moving and rushing water of the freshwater bodies can be used to generate electricity.

The improved hydrokinetic device, like its predecessor, still generates power using the mechanism of electromagnetic induction by harnessing the inherent hydrokinetic energy in moving water. But, it differs in the design of the device capsule; configuration of the coils; and eliminates the need for a buoy. It's novel spherical design allows it to receive wave movements from all directions making it more efficient at harnessing hydrokinetic energy. Its nested design mimics the ​pneumatocyst (air bladder) of the ​Giant Kelp. The air trapped between the two nested spherical containers helps the device keep afloat without the need for a buoy, making it more compact. Without the additional tethering to a buoy, the device avoids entanglement with aquatic life making it even more low-impact than its predecessor.

The modified capsule design of the Hydrokinetic device was inspired by the ​pneumatocyst (air bladder) of the ​Giant Kelp and the mechanism of electromagnetic induction to generate electric energy worked. The spherical capsule design allowed the hydrokinetic device to harness the wave movements from all directions. The air pocket trapped between the two nested spheres kept the device buoyant and eliminated the need for a buoy. This also prevented entanglement with aquatic wildlife which was a problem faced in the predecessor.

Since the device was above water, it was water-tight and this helped keep the mechanism free of fluid friction. The fixed setup of the inner capsule due to the use of a harness around it transmitted the wave movements better to the magnet. The bowl-like design of the inner capsule allowed the magnet to accelerate and move longer every time it went up and down its sides. The combined coil design with the first coil positioned right under the magnet and the second around it proved to be the best in making optimum use of the magnet’s movements to generate electrical energy.

According to the data collected, peak Current was observed in all four Phases with a resistor of 1 Ω. This is because according to Ohm’s Law, Current (I) flowing through a circuit is inversely proportional to the Resistance (R). Hence, the lower the Resistance, the higher the current flowing through a circuit. According to the data, when two coils in a device were connected in Series, they produced more Voltage than those connected in Parallel. In a Series circuit, all components share the same current, and voltage drops add to equal a larger, total voltage. It was observed that the Vertical-Axis coils out-performed the Circular-Axis coils by producing more Power. In the Vertical-Axis coil, the conductor or copper wire was perpendicular to the magnetic flux lines of force of the magnet and this produced the maximum force on the free electrons. It was also noticed that the diameter of the Circular-Axis coil was directly proportional to the Voltage being induced. The 3/16” diameter of the preliminary coil for the prototype did not work but when the diameter was increased to 1/4 “, the Circular-Axis coil showed a boost in Voltage induced, but still less than the Vertical-Axis coil as some coils of wire in Circular-Axis coil were running parallel to the magnetic flux lines.

The design, placement and number of coils also makes the device more productive, with Phase IV producing peak power of 5 Watts. The main purpose of the device is to be versatile so that it can be used in a variety of environments such as swimming pool lane lines, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, aqueducts, rivers, etc. The final goal would be to make it compact and efficient enough to provide enough power to charge personal electronics for disaster victims particularly in areas affected by storm and flood waters.