Case Study: Veryst Engineering achieves optimized sea‑floor current energy harvesting with COMSOL

Veryst Engineering - Customer Case Study

Veryst Engineering faced the challenge of powering ocean‑floor sensors from constant, low‑speed sea currents to avoid costly ship‑based battery replacement. The multiphysics nature of vortex‑induced energy harvesting and the small, few‑watt power levels required a reliable simulation tool, so Veryst used Comsol’s multiphysics simulation software (including CFD, moving‑mesh capability, and direct equation input) to model and analyze the system.

Using Comsol, Veryst modeled vortex shedding and the vane’s rotational dynamics (simplified as a rigid body with a single rotational degree of freedom), validated the CFD against Karman vortex‑street predictions (matching frequency and amplitude), and ran parametric sweeps to quantify available energy and optimize vane placement. The Comsol‑based solution produced actionable, measurable results—predicted available power on the order of watts, clear parametric maps of peak vane rotation versus distance, and an optimized design that reduces prototyping needs and improves the feasibility of replacing battery maintenance for seafloor sensors.

Veryst Engineering

Nagi Elabbasi

Veryst Engineering