To improve the operational reliability of renewable energy conversion system, high-performance polymers and
engineering plastics are used to make some parts and components of the energy conversion device, especially in the
marine renewable energy generation field. In this article, special plastic bearings based on the material of
polyoxymethylene (POM) were designed and applied in the power generation device of both tidal current energy and
island wind energy. The properties of POM were analyzed, and the load of a POM ball was tested. Special structures of
the plastic bearings were designed to meet the requirements of pressure resistance and to reduce the friction. These plastic
bearings had been used in the prototypes of 20 kW tidal current turbine generation device and 15 kW island wind turbine
generation device. According to the prototypes’ operation, the results indicate that these plastic bearings work well and
are very suitable for the application in renewable energy conversion system. By optimizing the structure, such plastic
bearings would be generalized and applied in the renewable energy generation device with a higher power level.
Investigation of the Potential Use of Tidal Current Turbines in the Ocean City, Maryland Inlet for Renewable Energy Generation