Analysis and evaluation of energy converters based on multi-axis inertial reaction mechanisms

The paper addresses a novel type of energy converters, which are based on a class of internal body mechanisms, providing inertial reaction against a multi-axis/multi-direction motion of an external vessel. The internal bodies are suspended from the external vessel body by a symmetric four bar mechanism. The first advantage of this suspension geometry is that a linear trajectory results for the center of the mass of the suspended body with respect to the external vessel, enabling the introduction of a quite simple form of a Power Take Off (PTO) design. Moreover, the simplicity and the symmetry of the suspension geometry and of the PTO, ensure a quite simple and robust technological implementation, removing the restrictions of other linear, pendulum or gyroscopic variants of inertial reacting bodies. Furthermore, the mass and the inertia distribution of the internal body are optimized for the maximal conversion and storage of the external energy.