A power generator or sensor apparatus is provided. Another aspect employs a hybrid triboelectric and electromagnetic generator. In still another aspect, a power generator is used for water wave energy harvesting. A further aspect provides a power generator including an outer housing with an electrical conductor on an exterior thereof, radial overlapping electrodes located within the housing with a dielectric layer between the electrodes, a plate linearly moveable within the housing, at least one magnet affixed to the plate, and at least one spring biasing the plate within the housing. Moreover, an aspect of the present power generator includes a modularized connection configuration to linearly secure together multiples of the housing.

A power generator or sensor apparatus is provided. Another aspect employs a hybrid triboelectric and electromagnetic generator. In still another aspect, a power generator is used for water wave energy harvesting. A further aspect provides a power generator including an outer housing with an electrical conductor on an exterior thereof, radial overlapping electrodes located within the housing with a dielectric layer between the electrodes, a plate linearly moveable within the housing, at least one magnet affixed to the plate, and at least one spring biasing the plate within the housing. Moreover, an aspect of the present power generator includes a modularized connection configuration to linearly secure together multiples of the housing.

The present disclosure provides a renewable energy generator including a roly-poly toy- or capsule-shaped housing floating in the water, a main generator unit, frame(s) fixed internally of the housing at intervals, a main rotation shaft for linking the main generator unit rotatably to the frame(s), and a controller for operating the pendulum by driving the main motor, and controlling the main generator unit to generate an electrical energy profit by using the housing behaving due to the pendulum operation. The main generator unit includes an internal housing, a pendulum moving inside the internal housing, a pendulum rotation shaft vertically connected to the pendulum and fixed to the internal housing, a main motor for converting kinetic energy of the pendulum into electrical energy, and a gear unit linked to the pendulum rotation shaft and transmitting the kinetic energy of the pendulum to the main motor.

The present disclosure provides a renewable energy generator including a roly-poly toy- or capsule-shaped housing floating in the water, a main generator unit, frame(s) fixed internally of the housing at intervals, a main rotation shaft for linking the main generator unit rotatably to the frame(s), and a controller for operating the pendulum by driving the main motor, and controlling the main generator unit to generate an electrical energy profit by using the housing behaving due to the pendulum operation. The main generator unit includes an internal housing, a pendulum moving inside the internal housing, a pendulum rotation shaft vertically connected to the pendulum and fixed to the internal housing, a main motor for converting kinetic energy of the pendulum into electrical energy, and a gear unit linked to the pendulum rotation shaft and transmitting the kinetic energy of the pendulum to the main motor.

A multi-axial wave energy conversion device includes a carrier, a main body coupled to the carrier, a wave energy conversion assembly, a rotating mechanism, a lifting mechanism and a control unit electrically connected to the rotating mechanism and the lifting mechanism. The wave energy conversion assembly is coupled to the main body and includes an arm. The rotating mechanism is coupled between the carrier and the main body. The lifting mechanism is coupled between the arm and the main body. The control unit is for controlling the rotating mechanism to drive the main body to rotate relative to the carrier around a vertical axis for adjusting an orientation of the arm relative to the carrier, and further for controlling the lifting mechanism to drive the arm to rotate relative to the main body around a horizontal axis for adjusting an included angle between the arm and the main body.

A multi-axial wave energy conversion device includes a carrier, a main body coupled to the carrier, a wave energy conversion assembly, a rotating mechanism, a lifting mechanism and a control unit electrically connected to the rotating mechanism and the lifting mechanism. The wave energy conversion assembly is coupled to the main body and includes an arm. The rotating mechanism is coupled between the carrier and the main body. The lifting mechanism is coupled between the arm and the main body. The control unit is for controlling the rotating mechanism to drive the main body to rotate relative to the carrier around a vertical axis for adjusting an orientation of the arm relative to the carrier, and further for controlling the lifting mechanism to drive the arm to rotate relative to the main body around a horizontal axis for adjusting an included angle between the arm and the main body.

A wave energy converter (WEC) 10 has a body portion 18 with a face 20 and at least one flexible membrane 16 bounding at least part of a volume of a fluid to form a variable volume cell 22. The membrane is inclined from vertical providing a flow smoothed passage for wave energy from a wave 14 to travel over the WEC whilst deforming the at least one membrane towards the body to compress the fluid. The cell(s) can be submerged or floating. The inclination of the at least one membrane assists conversion of potential and kinetic energy of the wave to pressure within the fluid. Fluid pressure within the WEC cell(s) and/or system can be optimised to suit wave and/or performance conditions.

A wave energy converter (WEC) 10 has a body portion 18 with a face 20 and at least one flexible membrane 16 bounding at least part of a volume of a fluid to form a variable volume cell 22. The membrane is inclined from vertical providing a flow smoothed passage for wave energy from a wave 14 to travel over the WEC whilst deforming the at least one membrane towards the body to compress the fluid. The cell(s) can be submerged or floating. The inclination of the at least one membrane assists conversion of potential and kinetic energy of the wave to pressure within the fluid. Fluid pressure within the WEC cell(s) and/or system can be optimised to suit wave and/or performance conditions.

A wave energy converter and method for extracting energy from water waves maximizes the energy extraction per cycle by estimating an excitation force of heave wave motion on the buoy, computing a control force from the estimated excitation force using a dynamic model, and applying the computed control force to the buoy to extract energy from the heave wave motion. Analysis and numerical simulations demonstrate that the optimal control of a heave wave energy converter is, in general, in the form of a bang-singular-bang control; in which the optimal control at a given time can be either in the singular arc mode or in the bang-bang mode. The excitation force and its derivatives at the current time can be obtained through an estimator, for example, using measurements of pressures on the surface of the buoy in addition to measurements of the buoy position. A main advantage of this approximation method is the ease of obtaining accurate measurements for pressure on the buoy surface and for buoy position, compared to wave elevation measurements.

A wave energy converter and method for extracting energy from water waves maximizes the energy extraction per cycle by estimating an excitation force of heave wave motion on the buoy, computing a control force from the estimated excitation force using a dynamic model, and applying the computed control force to the buoy to extract energy from the heave wave motion. Analysis and numerical simulations demonstrate that the optimal control of a heave wave energy converter is, in general, in the form of a bang-singular-bang control; in which the optimal control at a given time can be either in the singular arc mode or in the bang-bang mode. The excitation force and its derivatives at the current time can be obtained through an estimator, for example, using measurements of pressures on the surface of the buoy in addition to measurements of the buoy position. A main advantage of this approximation method is the ease of obtaining accurate measurements for pressure on the buoy surface and for buoy position, compared to wave elevation measurements.