Abstract: Apparatus, intended to be deployed in a body of water, includes a payload comprised of a multiplicity of different electronic and electromechanical loads and a wave energy converter (WEC) system responsive to the amplitude of waves in the body of water for producing electrical power, which is a function of the wave amplitudes, to power the payload. The apparatus includes switching circuitry for controlling the application of power to selected ones of the loads. Control circuitry and devices which are responsive to the electric power being produced control the switching circuitry for controlling the amount of power supplied to, and consumed by, the loads.

Abstract: The electric energy generated by a piezoelectric device (PEG), when mechanically stressed, is transferred from the PEG to a storage element (e.g., a capacitor or a battery) by selectively coupling an inductor in the conduction path between the PEG and the storage element. In one embodiment, the transfer of energy is optimized by allowing the amplitude of the electric signal to reach a peak value before transferring the electrical energy via an inductive network to a capacitor or a battery for storage. Electrically, the PEG is operated without a significant loading (e.g., essentially open circuited) when the amplitude of the voltage generated by the PEG is increasing. When the amplitude of the voltage has peaked, or reached a predetermined value, the electrical energy generated by the PEG is coupled to an inductive-capacitive network for absorbing and storing the energy produced by the PEG.