College - Author 1
College of Engineering
Department - Author 1
Mechanical Engineering Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Mechanical Engineering
College - Author 2
College of Engineering
Department - Author 2
Mechanical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 2
BS in Mechanical Engineering
College - Author 3
College of Engineering
Department - Author 3
Mechanical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 3
BS in Mechanical Engineering
College - Author 4
College of Engineering
Department - Author 4
Mechanical Engineering Department
Degree - Author 4
BS in Mechanical Engineering
Date
6-2024
Primary Advisor
Lauren Rueda, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department
Additional Advisors
Peter Schuster, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Department Vladimir Prodanov, College of Engineering, Electrical Engineering Department Barry Lieberman, Orfalea College of Business, Industrial Technology, Packaging, and Entrepreneurship Academic Area
Abstract/Summary
PolyWave Energy is the second team from California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo to compete in the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition. PolyWave Energy consists of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Business Administration students who have worked together from September 2023 to May 2024 on designing, building, and testing a marine power device to serve a selected market.
In response to the escalating concerns surrounding carbon emissions, climate change, and the depletion of fossil fuels, California Polytechnic State University’s Polywave Energy team has developed a sustainable and reliable energy source for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) charging. Through extensive research of the AUV market and stakeholder interviews, our team found that companies within the oil and gas industry would benefit most from our charging device.
The device is a rack and pinion wave energy converter. Featuring a floating portion in the water to capture the vertical motion of the waves, the device efficiently converts this motion into rotational energy. The rotational energy spins a generator, which stores electricity in a battery for AUV charging. The rotational and electrical systems will be mounted above the water on a fixed platform, and the relative motion between the floating portion and the fixed structure is used to create electricity.
In our project, we built a scaled down model of our device, scaled to meet the constraints of our testing setup. We tested our model on land, using wave data from the Gulf of Mexico, our target location for the device. Our team underwent extensive analysis to select and design components, ensuring that the device would be durable, safe, and effective in producing electricity. Numerous prototypes and iterations brought us to the final specifications of our device, for which our team procured the parts, fabricated, and assembled them. The device was tested under six conditions and successfully generated power in all conditions. The device functioned as expected, showing promise for future marine power generation and implementation in charging of AUVs.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/mesp/774
Project Video
ME_S2023_F65_Poster.pdf (1562 kB)
Project Poster
ME_S2023_F65_SOW.pdf (1487 kB)
Scope of Work
ME_S2023_F65_PDR.pdf (2230 kB)
Preliminary Design Review
ME_S2023_F65_CDR.pdf (3761 kB)
Critical Design Review
ME_S2023_F65_Drawings.pdf (3966 kB)
Drawing Package
Included in
Electrical and Electronics Commons, Energy Systems Commons, Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons, Ocean Engineering Commons, Power and Energy Commons, Risk Analysis Commons, Technology and Innovation Commons