A Spherical Hybrid Energy Harvester for Marine Environments

The ocean represents a vast reservoir of kinetic energy with tremendous potential for energy harvesting. During extreme adverse weather conditions, the GPS signal of a vessel may be interfered with, posing a risk of hitting reefs while navigating shipping lanes. This paper focuses on the models of regular ocean waves and wind-induced waves,we show a piezoelectric photovoltaic energy harvester based on a sealed spherical structure, which can be used as a self-powered marine floating light for guidance and warning in harsh environments..The system consists of three main components: a piezoelectric module, a photovoltaic module, and an energy storage module. The piezoelectric module comprises two piezoelectric sheets that generate electricity through deformation induced by continuous fluctuations. The photovoltaic module consists of flexible amorphous silicon, which produces the photovoltaic effect under light exposure. The energy harvested from the piezoelectric and photovoltaic modules is rectified, regulated sand stored in the energy storage module. Experimental results show that the energy harvester can achieve a power of 1.35mW, demonstrating the promising potential of the hybrid energy harvester for practical applications in marine environments.