Simulations show gyroscopes can generate electricity from ocean waves

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a novel gyroscopic wave energy converter (GWEC) that efficiently harvests electricity from ocean waves across a broad range of wave frequencies, overcoming a key limitation of conventional wave energy converters (WECs). Unlike traditional WECs, which operate effectively only within narrow wave conditions and thus struggle with the ocean’s constantly changing waves, the GWEC uses a spinning flywheel inside a floating structure. The gyroscopic precession of this flywheel—its change in spin direction when subjected to external forces—enables continuous energy generation even as wave frequencies vary, maintaining high energy absorption. Using linear wave theory, the researchers modeled the interactions between ocean waves, the floating body, and the gyroscope to optimize control parameters for the flywheel and generator. Their simulations demonstrated that the GWEC can achieve a maximum energy absorption efficiency of 50% across a wide range of frequencies, not just at a single resonant frequency. This tunability and broadband efficiency suggest that gy