Turn on the waves by clicking the box in the top right corner to start the analysis. There you may also adjust the period of the waves. The camera angle can be changed by clicking and dragging the screen. Zooming in and out is also possible.
Explanation
This is a simplified simulation of the Gyroscopic Wave Energy Converter (GWEC) in action. A right-handed Cartesian coordinate system is placed at the center of the GWEC. The waves cause the buoy to oscillate about the first axis. With the help of a motor, the disks are rotating in opposite directions about the third axis. As a result of this, a moment is generated about the second axis, causing the gimbals to rotate. This torque is then transmitted to the generators via a gear drive to generate power.
Abstract
This research models the energy extracted by gyroscopic wave energy converters, to assess their use to provide supplementary power to fish farms and lighting on oilrigs. This project implements the Moving Frame Method (MFM) in dynamics to model the power generated from a gyroscopic wave energy converter (GWEC). The MFM leverages Lie Group Theory, Cartan’s moving frames and a new notation from the discipline of geometrical physics. This research extends previous work by incorporating two inertial disks to counter the inducement of yaw, and it improves the numerical integration scheme. Furthermore, it makes use of a coherent data structure founded in the Special Euclidean Group, and it defines the initial disk spin as a prescribed variable. After obtaining the suite of descriptive equations of motion, this project integrates them using the Runge-Kutta method. Finally, a simplified 3D simulation is made using the Web Graphics Library to improve the readers’ intuitive understanding of the GWEC.