A wave based energy generator system using elastomers has been evaluated as a new method for harvesting recyclable energy.
Since 1991, SRI international has been carrying out research on a new artificial muscle material (called EPAM), which has a very simple structure comprised of an elastomer film sandwiched by two electrodes made of a flexible material. Usually, the Coulomb force that is generated between the two electrodes is used in actuators, but recently, the possibility of using the reverse operation for application as an electric generator element was confirmed.
With EPAM installed on buoys, generator tests were carried out for the first time in the world in August of 2007 in the ocean waters of Tampa, Florida. The objective of the tests was to generate electric energy from the natural movement of waves, and to simultaneously investigate the possibility for a steady energy supply for the two week duration of the tests. The generator has only 150g of EPAM, and the energy was generated by the inertial force of a proof mass attached to the lower part of the unit. We confirm that the buoy can successfully produce a peak power of about 11 W with even relatively small waves of the order of 10cm.The conversion efficiency was more than 75%..
This data indicates that the predicted cost efficiency may be 7.5 yen/kWh in the near future. We also confirmed that the generator produced hydrogen using Nafion membranes.