Self-Sustaining Wave Energy Capture for Persistent Autonomous Ocean-Going Systems

STTR topic DON27TZ02-NV005 (U.S. Department of Defense – Navy), Phase I and II. Open to U.S. small businesses; STTR projects partner with a U.S. research institution. Opens: December 2, 2026. Closes: January 6, 2027. Unmanned surface and undersea vehicles need regular recharging, and since they often operate far from human contact, their charging systems require a reliable, self-sustaining power source. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) believes the ideal power source will be a wave energy capture device (WECD). WECDs capture kinetic and potential energy generated by the movement of ocean waves on or near the surface of open water. The desired WECD must be portable, specifically, designed as a set of components that can each be carried by one or two people who must be able to quickly assemble and disassemble those components. Components designed for one-person carry should weigh no more than 14 kg with largest dimension no greater than 1.9 m, while components designed for two-person carry should weigh no more than 45.4 kg with largest dimension no greater than 2.3 m. The WECD must be able to be relocated to areas of very different depths, including full ocean depth so the WECD’s design cannot require placement or anchoring on the sea floor. And since the WECD may need to deploy near the shore, its design must allow it to function in waters as shallow as 100 meters. Ocean weather conditions can be challenging. The WECD should function reliably at Sea State 6 or less (very rough seas, with wave heights of 4 to 6 meters), and it should be able to survive conditions up to Sea State 8 (very high seas, with wave heights of 9 to 14 meters). ONR assumes the WECD will be tethered to some device at or near the surface of the water. That tethered system may be an autonomous vehicle in loiter mode, and since loitering involves continuous vehicle movement, the WECD should operate reliably while in motion, and its design should leverage such motion to increase energy…