Electroactive polymers for ocean kinetic energy harvesting: literature review and research needs

The recent issue of serious global warming has stimulated research on the development of de-carbonized energy harvesting technologies. The ocean has the most valuable natural resources which have resulted in the construction of a wide variety of offshore plants all over the world. Because nearly all offshore plants are stand-alone plants that do not transmit electricity, they must have their own power generators. This paper aims to provide a source of information on ocean kinetic energy harvesting with electroactive polymers from the natural oscillations of ocean waves and currents. Electroactive polymers play an important role due to having electricity generation characteristics that correspond to mechanical stimuli. Among them, dielectric elastomers and piezoelectric materials have shown considerable promise for harvesting energy from environmental sources, such as ocean waves and currents. Ionic polymer metal composites, which are known as ionic electroactive polymers, are emerging materials in energy harvesting applications because of their favorable electromechanical characteristics and their highly compliant nature. Moreover, their intimacy with water enables them to be used in a water environment, which is suitable for ocean energy harvesting. Electroactive harvesting for the ocean kinetic energy has the potential to coexist with marine environments.