Optimizing energy harvesting from ship-based buoys using Bat Algorithm—A case study

It is imperative to explore alternative, preferably renewable energy sources to diminish our reliance on coal and oil, thereby mitigating the adverse impacts of greenhouse gases. For this, an approach was proposed to generate electrical power through energy harvesting from a ship’s buoy riding a lake’s wave. Specifically, an electrical power generation device was established on the side of the ship using a generator and a rod connected to the skirt-type buoy. With the buoy bobbing in the waves, the rod swung due to the relative height difference between the bobbing buoy and the ship, thus generating periodic electrical power. A case study was performed with a fetch of 4 km, a lake depth of 10 m, and a wind speed of 4.5 m/s. To maximize the electrical power generated, the ship-based energy harvester was optimized using a bat algorithm. The resulting mathematical analysis exhibits a worthy electrical power output of 241.6 W. This study underscores the potential of hydraulic energy generation as a promising and sustainable renewable energy and offers valuable insights into optimizing energy harvesters for maximized electricity production.