Design and Fluid Analysis of a Novel Power Supply Unit for Unmaned Marine Equipment

Abstract

The problem of insufficient power supply for unmanned marine equipment at sea limits its development and utilization. In this paper, we designed a power supply unit capable of absorbing wave energy and converting it into electricity, which helps to solve the problem of limited power supply ability. Its main structure is demonstrated by theoretical design and modeling, and its operating principle is presented. Its performance (power coefficient and torque coefficient) was numerically simulated via Computational Fluid Dynamics tools, and the effect of blade groups’ solidity on its operating performance was investigated. The study found that the blades of the blade groups can absorb more energy by arranging along the outer ring, and the energy conversion efficiency of the blade groups is related to their load.