Segmented concrete hull for wave energy converters and method of constructing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10975835-B2
Application number	US-201716330196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 5, 2017
Priority date	Sep 2, 2016
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A wave energy converter (10) is capable of floating on a body of water (BW), moving in response to waves (W) occurring in the body of water (BW), and includes a hull (12) connected to a heave plate (14). The wave energy converter (10) is characterized in that the hull (12) is formed from reinforced concrete, a plurality of connecting tendons (16) extend between the hull (12) and the heave plate (14), and a power take off (66) is attached to each connecting tendon (16).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wave energy converter ( 10 ) capable of floating on a body of water (BW) and moving in response to waves (W) occurring in the body of water (BW), the wave energy converter ( 10 ) comprising a hull ( 12 ) connected to a heave plate ( 14 ), characterized in that:
the hull ( 12 ) is formed from reinforced concrete;
a plurality of connecting tendons ( 16 ) extending between the hull ( 12 ) and the heave plate ( 14 ); and
a power take off ( 66 ) attached to each connecting tendon ( 16 );
wherein the hull ( 12 ) is formed from a plurality of wedge-shaped hollow sections ( 20 ); and
wherein each wedge-shaped hollow section ( 20 ) includes a first portion ( 42 ) attached to a second portion ( 44 ), wherein the first portion ( 42 ) has side mating faces ( 46 ), a first end wall ( 48 ), an inner circumferential wall ( 50 ), an outer circumferential wall ( 52 ), and a plurality of ducts ( 54 ) extending through the first end wall ( 48 ) and the inner and outer circumferential walls ( 50 , 52 ), and wherein the second portion ( 44 ) has side mating faces ( 56 ), a second end wall ( 58 ), an inner circumferential wall ( 60 ), an outer circumferential wall ( 62 ), and a plurality of the ducts ( 54 ) extending through the second end wall ( 58 ) and the inner and outer circumferential walls ( 60 , 62 ).

2. The wave energy converter ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , the hull ( 12 ) further including at least one post-tensioning tendon ( 26 ) extending through each of the plurality of circumferentially extending ducts ( 36 ) in the first and second end walls ( 30 A, 30 B), the post-tensioning tendons ( 26 ) stressed and anchored to a portion of the hull ( 12 ) and connecting at least two adjacent wedge-shaped hollow sections ( 20 ) together.

3. The wave energy converter ( 10 ) according to claim 2 , wherein when assembled to form the hull ( 12 ), the plurality of hollow sections ( 20 ) define a hollow chamber within the assembled hull ( 12 ).

4. A wave energy converter ( 10 ) capable of floating on a body of water (BW) and moving in response to waves (W) occurring in the body of water (BW), the wave energy converter ( 10 ) comprising a hull ( 12 ) connected to a heave plate ( 14 ), characterized in that:
the hull ( 12 ) is formed from reinforced concrete;
a plurality of connecting tendons ( 16 ) extending between the hull ( 12 ) and the heave plate ( 14 ); and
a power take off ( 66 ) attached to each connecting tendon ( 16 );
wherein the heave plate ( 14 ) is formed from a plurality of wedge-shaped hollow sections ( 24 ), wherein each wedge-shaped hollow section ( 24 ) has side mating faces ( 28 ), a first end wall ( 30 A), a second end wall ( 30 B), an inner circumferential wall ( 32 A), an outer circumferential wall ( 32 B), and a hollow interior cavity ( 34 ), and wherein a plurality of ducts ( 36 ) extend circumferentially through the first and second end walls ( 30 A, 30 B), the heave plate ( 14 ) further including at least one post-tensioning tendon ( 26 ) extending through each of the plurality of circumferentially extending ducts ( 36 ) in the first and second end walls ( 30 A, 30 B), the post-tensioning tendons ( 26 ) stressed and anchored to a portion of the heave plate ( 14 ) and connecting at least two adjacent wedge-shaped hollow sections ( 22 ) together, and wherein when assembled to form the heave plate ( 14 ), the plurality of hollow sections ( 24 ) define a hollow chamber within the assembled heave plate ( 14 ).

5. A wave energy converter ( 110 ) capable of floating on a body of water (BW) and moving in response to waves (W) occurring in the body of water (BW), the wave energy converter ( 110 ) comprising a buoy ( 112 ) anchored to a bed (SB) of the body of water (BW), characterized in that:
the buoy ( 112 ) is formed from pre-stressed reinforced concrete and comprises a stationary member ( 118 ) and a float ( 120 ) slidably mounted to the stationary member ( 118 );
a foundation ( 114 ) configured to rest on the bed (SB) of the body of water (BW) and to anchor the wave energy converter ( 110 ) to the bed (SB) of the body of water (BW);
a rod ( 116 ) extending between the buoy ( 112 ) and the foundation ( 114 );
a power take off ( 66 ) attached to the rod ( 116 ) and to the float ( 120 );
wherein the stationary member ( 118 ) has a closed first end ( 118 A), a closed second end ( 118 B), and a centrally formed passageway ( 119 ) extending from the first end ( 118 A) to the second end ( 118 B), includes a plurality of annular sections ( 122 ), and is cylindrical in shape;
wherein each annular section ( 122 ) has a circumferentially extending wall ( 124 ) and a plurality of ducts ( 126 ) extending through the circumferentially extending wall ( 124 );
wherein the float ( 120 ) has a closed first end ( 120 A), a closed second end ( 120 B), and a centrally formed passageway ( 130 ) extending from the first end ( 120 A) to the second end ( 120 B), and wherein the float ( 120 ) includes a plurality of annular sections ( 128 ); and
wherein the stationary member ( 118 ) is mounted within the passageway ( 130 ) of the float ( 120 ).

6. The wave energy converter ( 110 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the float ( 120 ) is cylindrical in shape.

7. The wave energy converter ( 110 ) according to claim 5 , wherein each annular section ( 128 ) has two concentric walls including an outer circumferentially extending wall ( 132 ), and an inner circumferentially extending wall ( 134 ), wherein the outer circumferentially extending wall ( 132 ) and the inner circumferentially extending wall ( 134 ) are connected by a plurality of radially extending bulkheads ( 136 ) defining hollow chambers ( 138 ) therebetween, and wherein a plurality of ducts ( 14 ) extend through each of the outer circumferentially extending wall ( 132 ) and the inner circumferentially extending wall ( 134 ).

8. The wave energy converter ( 110 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the float ( 120 ) is cylindrical in shape.

9. The wave energy converter ( 110 ) according to claim 5 , wherein when the stationary member ( 118 ) and the float ( 120 ) are assembled to form the buoy ( 112 ), the stationary member ( 118 ) is positioned within the passageway ( 130 ) of the float ( 120 ) such that the float ( 120 ) can slide relative to the stationary member ( 118 ).

10. The wave energy converter ( 110 ) according to claim 5 , wherein the stationary member ( 118 ) further includes at least one post-tensioning tendon ( 26 ) extending through each of the plurality of ducts ( 126 ) in the circumferentially extending wall ( 124 ), the post-tensioning tendons ( 26 ) stressed and anchored to a portion of the stationary member ( 118 ).

11. The wave energy converter ( 110 ) according to claim 7 , wherein the float ( 120 ) further includes at least one post-tensioning tendon ( 26 ) extending through each of the plurality of ducts ( 140 ) in the outer circumferentially extending wall ( 132 ) and the inner circumferentially extending wall ( 134 ), the post-tensioning tendons ( 26 ) stressed and anchored to a portion of the float ( 120 ).

12. A hull ( 12 ) for a wave energy converter ( 10 ) and configured for attachment to a heave plate ( 14 ), the wave energy converter ( 10 ) including a plurality of connecting tendons ( 16 ) extending between the hull ( 12 ) and the heave plate ( 14 ), and a power take off ( 66 ) attached to each connecting tendon, the wave energy converter ( 10 ) capable of floating on a body of water (BW) and moving in response to waves (W) occurring in the body of water (BW), the hull ( 12 ) characterized in that:
the hull ( 12 ) is formed from a plurality of reinforced concrete wedge-shaped hollow sections

Assignees

• Univ Maine System

Inventors

• Viselli Anthony M
• Dagher Habib J

Classifications

• F05B2220/707

  of the linear type · CPC title

• F03B13/20 Primary

  wherein both members {, i.e. wom and rem} are movable relative to the sea bed or shore · CPC title

• F03B13/1865 Primary

  where the connection between wom and conversion system takes tension only (F03B13/187, F03B13/1875 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02E10/30

  Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient · CPC title

• F05B2250/231

  cylindrical · CPC title