Light-weight Portable Marine and Hydrokinetic Energy Converter
Abstract
Energy is the lifeblood for the modern Marine Corps, but such dependence also adds pressure, risk, and vulnerability to our soldiers, in particular for expeditionary forces. The Ground Renewable Expeditionary Energy Network System (GREENS) offers a good solution for sustainable energy in the field, however, also comes with its limitations. The energy source is not 24 hours/day and subjected to weather conditions, thus it is not always dependable. The current GREENS design is heavy and its application is limited by deployability. However, the modular design opens the door for alternative sources of energy. A lightweight, compact, efficient, and reliable energy source is thus critical.In this proposal, we propose a light-weight, portable, highly efficient energy conversion modular compatible to GREENS to harvest in-situ energy from the ocean to provide reliable, easy, and cheap renewable energy to the Marine Corps. The proposed energy harvesting device can harvest both ocean waves and ocean current energy on a 24/7 basis. The system weighs about 50lbs., and can fit into a backpack to be carried around by soldiers on mission. The system can be deployed or retrieved by a single soldier in less than 20 min with ease. Once deployed into the ocean, the system can harvest an average of 300-500 W power continuously on a 24/7 basis without maintenance. The energy density per mass will be increased significantly from 1.4 W/lbs. (GREENS 1kW station) to 6-10 W/lbs, 4.3-7.1 times more power per weight. The system ismodular and can be scaled up to provide more power if needed. The modular design also makes it possible to network with solar energy, wind energy, and diesel engine energy to provide comprehensive and reliable energy to the Marine Corps. The success of this project will significantly reduce the dependence on fuel energy and relieve the energy demand pressure faced in modern warfare and decrease the pressure, vulnerability, and risks of the power supply associated logistics. The operation ranges, endurance, and agility of the Marine Corps can be improved significantly. The proposed ocean waves and current energy conversion modular could also improve the sustainability and reliability of existing GREENS in the case that solar energy is unavailable, such as at night and rainy day.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 06, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112152
Entities
People
- Lei Zuo
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Virginia Tech