2023
competition year
Engineering2023Marine Energy Collegiate Competition
Go With The Flow
Marine energy project using piezoelectric technology to convert wave motion into power for environmental sensors.
MECC
competition
D.C.
presentation
Team
collaboration model
Overview
A self-powered water monitoring concept.
Go With The Flow was an ocean energy harvesting project developed for the Marine Energy Collegiate Competition. The system explored using piezoelectric technology to convert wave motion into electricity for water monitoring sensors.
The project combined mechanical, electrical, computer engineering, and business work, then was presented at Waterpower Week 2023 in Washington, D.C.
Objectives
What the prototype needed to solve.
Self-powered monitoring
Design a water monitoring system that could reduce reliance on external power sources or frequent battery replacement.
Piezoelectric harvesting
Use piezoelectric materials to capture mechanical wave motion and convert it into usable electricity.
Robust housing
Prototype water-resistant sensor housing that protects electronics while allowing useful environmental readings.
Team delivery
Coordinate an interdisciplinary team through technical design, prototyping, project management, and competition presentation.
Technical approach
Energy capture, sensors, and prototyping.
Energy harvesting mechanism
Built a proof-of-concept mechanism that converts wave-driven mechanical motion into electrical energy using piezoelectric components.
Sensor integration
Integrated environmental sensing concepts for water quality, temperature, pressure, and monitoring workflows.
3D printing and housing
Used rapid prototyping to iterate on physical enclosures that could support sensor placement and protect onboard electronics.
Competition presentation
Prepared the technical story and demonstration materials for a national collegiate marine energy audience.
Skills
Tools and concepts demonstrated.
Piezoelectric energy harvestingEnvironmental sensors3D printingArduinoEmbedded systemsIoT