U.S. Department of EnergyOffice of Scientific and Technical Information
TEAMER: Electrically Engaged Undulation (EEL) System
Abstract
The Electrically Engaged UnduLation (EEL) system is a buoyancy-driven submersible device for powering oceanographic instruments. Physically, EEL is a slender body whose flexible spine is made up of energy units interconnected by uniaxial hinges. Each unit consists of a pair of piezoelectric elements that converts the bending stress into electrical current to a battery charging circuit. An outer plastic skin forms a seal against water and allows for flexibility at hinge locations. At the top is a bluff body with electronics that holds a ballast for buoyancy adjustment. The bluff body is also responsible for creating fluid instabilities in its wake. When gliding through the water (mode 2), the spine will flex in response to the alternating vortices that shed from the head. This "lock-in" phenomenon occurs when the frequency at which vortices shed resonates with the EEL natural frequency, during which the efficient gaits were found in species of sea snake, eels, and fish. For active propulsion, a single motor can be placed at the first segment and provide the oscillatory input for propulsion similar to a dolphin's kick. Such anguilliform swimming is both efficient and nearly silent compared to a spinning propeller. Ultimately, mimicking bio-locomotion provides a viablemore »
- Authors:
-
- Pyro-E
- Publication Date:
- Other Number(s):
- 388
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0008895
- Research Org.:
- Marine and Hydrokinetic Data Repository (MHKDR); Pyro-E
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Water Power Technologies Office (EE-4WP)
- Collaborations:
- Pyro-E
- Subject:
- 16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER; E; EEL; Electrically Engaged UnduLation; Electrically Engaged UnduLation System; TEAMER; bio-locomotion; energy; marine; measurements; ocean monitoring; oceanographic instruments; performance data; steady state; submersible device
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1838614
- DOI:
- https://doi.org/10.15473/1838614
Citation Formats
Lu, Kevin. TEAMER: Electrically Engaged Undulation (EEL) System. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.15473/1838614.
Lu, Kevin. TEAMER: Electrically Engaged Undulation (EEL) System. United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.15473/1838614
Lu, Kevin. 2021.
"TEAMER: Electrically Engaged Undulation (EEL) System". United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.15473/1838614. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1838614. Pub date:Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 UTC 2021
@article{osti_1838614,
title = {TEAMER: Electrically Engaged Undulation (EEL) System},
author = {Lu, Kevin},
abstractNote = {The Electrically Engaged UnduLation (EEL) system is a buoyancy-driven submersible device for powering oceanographic instruments. Physically, EEL is a slender body whose flexible spine is made up of energy units interconnected by uniaxial hinges. Each unit consists of a pair of piezoelectric elements that converts the bending stress into electrical current to a battery charging circuit. An outer plastic skin forms a seal against water and allows for flexibility at hinge locations. At the top is a bluff body with electronics that holds a ballast for buoyancy adjustment. The bluff body is also responsible for creating fluid instabilities in its wake. When gliding through the water (mode 2), the spine will flex in response to the alternating vortices that shed from the head. This "lock-in" phenomenon occurs when the frequency at which vortices shed resonates with the EEL natural frequency, during which the efficient gaits were found in species of sea snake, eels, and fish. For active propulsion, a single motor can be placed at the first segment and provide the oscillatory input for propulsion similar to a dolphin's kick. Such anguilliform swimming is both efficient and nearly silent compared to a spinning propeller. Ultimately, mimicking bio-locomotion provides a viable path to a drag-reduced, self-propelled energy harvesting system for ocean monitoring.},
doi = {10.15473/1838614},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 UTC 2021},
month = {Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 UTC 2021}
}