A novel 3D synergistic harvesting device for wave energy

Currently, the majority of conventional wave energy harvesting devices operate in a single dimension, thereby limiting their efficiency. To mitigate this limitation, this paper introduces a novel three-dimensional synergistic harvesting device (TSHD). The TSHD features two primary modules for harvesting wave energy: a vertical wave module and a horizontal wave module. The vertical wave module incorporates a screw-nut pair and a bidirectional-to-unidirectional mechanism, while the horizontal wave module primarily consists of a bevel-gear pair and a similar bidirectional-to-unidirectional mechanism. In this paper, the dynamic and power generation models of TSHD were constructed and analyzed. The prototype of TSHD was fabricated and tested through platform and aquatic experiments. The platform experiments revealed that the TSHD proposed in this paper exhibits a power improvement of up to 50.5 % compared to single-dimensional approaches. Furthermore, aquatic experiments confirmed that the TSHD's adaptive steering module could achieve optimal regulation. These results indicate that the energy harvest efficiency of TSHD is significantly enhanced. By leveraging a three-dimensional harvesting approach, the TSHD overcomes limitations of single-dimensional devices, providing a more efficient and versatile solution for wave energy harvesting.