Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences

First Advisor

Stephen Wood

Second Advisor

Chungkuk Jin

Third Advisor

Hector Gutierrez

Fourth Advisor

Richard Aronson

Abstract

Buoyancy-driven underwater gliders have been optimized for long-duration missions primarily for continual monitoring of the ocean’s water column. However, longer missions and higher-powered sensors have increased the energy requirements of gliders. While current solutions aim to increase battery capacity, the development of energy-harvesting systems (EHMs) could greatly improve mission capabilities in both ability and duration. This thesis discusses the experimental testing of an underwater glider with an EHM as detailed in the theoretical study, “Development of a Turbine-Based Ocean Thermal Energy Harvesting Mechanism Applied to the Underwater Glider” by Hongbo Hou, PhD. The rear-mounted turbine captures energy using the kinetic energy of the thermally powered glider. For experimentation, a model glider was fabricated, fitted with a horizontal-axis two-blade turbine, and experimentally assessed in open water. To simplify the study, a viscous dampener replaces an electric generator for steady-state experimental testing. The model glider contains a custom data acquisition system to measure turbine performance and glider dynamics. Repeated trials at different “generator” loads were analyzed for tip speed ratio (TSR) and turbine performance. Experimental data ranged between a TSR of 2.8-3.1, with a maximum power harvested of 11 W at a TSR of 2.8. At this operational condition, the EHM can offset over 11 hours of nominal operation in only one harvesting cycle. The performance of the system serves as an experimental validation of Dr. Hou’s theoretical study on EHMs for thermal gliders. The results of the studies support the integration of energy harvesting mechanisms for the advancement of thermal underwater gliders.

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