Research project: Minimally Actuated Flapping Foil Energy Extractors - Dormant
Animals use flapping foils for efficient locomotion. This project uses the same idea to extract energy from ocean currents and tidal flows.
Project Overview
Recent studies have shown that flapping foils such as fish use for propulsion can achieve extremely high efficiency levels compared to conventional turbine designs. A simple minimally actuated design is developed which uses ocean currents and tidal flows to induce heave on a foil and efficiently extract energy across a wide band of operational speeds.