Inertial water column wave energy converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10634113-B2
Application number	US-201816234295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2018
Priority date	Jan 3, 2018
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a novel device that converts some of the power in ocean waves into electrical power or other means of performing useful work. One or more tubes are arranged so that when the device is in position in a body of water, the tubes are oriented vertically with one end positioned proximate to and/or above the surface of the body of water on which the device floats, and with the other end positioned below the surface of that body of water. In some embodiments, through a differential restriction on the flow of air in and out of an upper end of the tube, the average height of the water inside the tube is different from the average height of the water outside the tube. In some embodiments, a hollow void inside a flotation structure of the embodiment is filled with water to contribute significant mass to the embodiment and increase the momentum associated with its vertical oscillations. Additional elements of the present disclosure include features that protect the device from damage during periods of large waves, and facilitate the powering and cooling of computers and/or other electronic equipment operated therein.

First claim

We claim:

1. A reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter, comprising:
an adjustably buoyant flotation structure adapted to float on a surface of a body of water,
the adjustably buoyant flotation structure comprising a ballast compartment;
a columnar body extending below the adjustably buoyant flotation structure, the columnar body defining a water chamber having a water inlet at an open lower end, the columnar body and the ballast compartment fluidly coupled by a valve that adjusts a water level in the ballast compartment by opening when a specified pressure in the columnar body is reached;
a turbine disposed at an upper end of the water chamber, the turbine driven by air moved by an oscillating column of water within the water chamber; and
a generator coupled to the turbine for converting turbine rotation to electricity.

2. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , wherein the adjustably buoyant flotation structure has a bottom taper for decreasing a waterplane area of the adjustably buoyant flotation structure when water is removed from the ballast compartment.

3. The reciprocating wave-to-energy converter of claim 2 , wherein the bottom taper is spherical cap shaped.

4. The reciprocating wave-to-energy converter of claim 2 , wherein the bottom taper is frusto conical.

5. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , further comprising a valve at an upper end of the water chamber for regulating an air flow entering the water chamber.

6. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 5 , wherein the valve is a one way valve.

7. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 6 , wherein the one way valve preferentially admits air into the water chamber and the turbine preferentially rotates when air is expelled from the water chamber.

8. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , further comprising a valve at an upper end of the water chamber for regulating an air flow exiting the water chamber.

9. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 8 , wherein the valve is a one way valve.

10. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 9 , wherein the one way valve preferentially allows air to pass out of the water chamber and the turbine preferentially rotates when air enters the water chamber.

11. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , further comprising a water jacket around the columnar body.

12. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , wherein the water chamber narrows proximate to an upper end.

13. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 12 , wherein the turbine is disposed in a narrowed portion of the water chamber.

14. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the air moved by the oscillating column of water is deflected by a deflector to propel the wave-to-electricity energy converter.

15. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , wherein the columnar body has a profile with a hydrodynamic drag that is less than that characteristic of a columnar body having a circular profile.

16. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , wherein the columnar body is flexible.

17. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , wherein the electricity is consumed at the reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter.

18. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 17 , wherein the electricity is used to power a plurality of mutually networked computers.

19. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of mutually networked computers is cooled by transferring heat to the body of water.

20. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , further comprising a sail on the adjustably buoyant flotation structure.

21. The reciprocating wave-to-energy converter of claim 1 , further comprising a check valve in the water chamber for regulating an air pressure in the water chamber.

22. The reciprocating wave-to-energy converter of claim 21 , wherein the check valve at least partially controls a buoyancy of the adjustably buoyant flotation structure.

23. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , wherein a product of a volume of the internal ballast cavity and a density of seawater is greater than a dry mass of the converter.

24. The reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter of claim 1 , further including bulkheads for dividing the internal ballast cavity into a plurality of sub-compartments.

25. A reciprocating wave-to-electricity energy converter, comprising:
a flotation structure adapted to float on a surface of a body of water;
a plurality of columnar bodies extending below the flotation structure, the columnar bodies each including a partially-filled water chamber having an open bottom end below the surface of the body of water and an upper end above the surface of the body of water;
a turbine disposed at the flotation structure and driven by air flow produced by water movement within at least one of the water chambers; and
a generator coupled to the turbine for converting turbine rotation to electricity.

Assignees

• Lone Gull Holdings Ltd

Inventors

• Sheldon-Coulson Garth Alexander
• Moffat Brian Lee
• Place Daniel William

Classifications

• H02K7/183

  wherein the turbine is a wind turbine (adaptation of a wind turbine to an electric generator F03D9/25) · CPC title

• H02K5/04

  Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof · CPC title

• F05B2270/18

  to control buoyancy · CPC title

• F05B2240/93

  on a structure floating on a liquid surface · CPC title

• F05B2240/95

  offshore · CPC title