Abstract
Drifting oceanographic buoys are used worldwide to measure environmental parameters such as sea surface temperature and air temperature. Power constraints limit the amount of data that can be collected and transmitted via satellite. Many of the drifting buoys are too small for solar panels and rely solely on battery power. Wave energy converters in the buoys could be used to recharge the batteries. This would increase the number of measurements and the lifetime of the buoys, which would decrease the amount of expensive ship time needed to replace non-functioning buoys. Here we present the results of a project to install a wave energy converter into a buoy that is used for sea surface temperature measurements in the Arctic. Buoys that are deployed in the Arctic are especially in need of alternative power sources because batteries do not perform well in cold temperatures. The wave energy converter that was installed in the buoy is a pendulum system where the pendulums rotate around three axes and translate along three axes. It was tested with its power electronics on a robotic table and then installed in the buoy. The buoy has been field tested several times with varying weight and heave plate configurations. Although this buoy has been designed for Arctic wave conditions, it could also be used at lower latitudes with similar wave conditions.