New Wave Energy Converter Design Inspired by the Nenuphar Plant

Abstract

This paper presents the Nenuphar concept, an innovative wave energy converter designed to use the kinetic and the potential energy of sea waves, based on the motions of seven modules. First, the main characteristics of the Nenuphar and its work principle are presented. Afterwards, the mathematical formulation of its dynamics is introduced and its validation with a simplified device. A specific MATLAB code was developed to determine the dynamics of hinged, multi-directional bodies. Then, the system’s behaviour was analysed under different wave conditions. The system performance was not strongly dependent on the wave characteristics or the device inclination angle. This initial study confirms the Nenuphar as a potential technology to extract energy from waves.

Keywords

• attenuator
• bioinspired
• wave energy
• wave energy converter (WEC)
• point absorber