Self-powered computing buoy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12560143-B2
Application number	US-202318539235-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2023
Priority date	Jul 16, 2017
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A computing apparatus that is integrated within a flotation module, the system obtaining the energy required to power its computing operations from waves that travel across the surface of a body of water on which the flotation module sets. Additionally, the self-powered computing apparatus employs novel designs to utilize its close proximity to the body of water and/or to strong ocean winds to significantly lower the cost and complexity of cooling their computing circuits.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A floating data center, comprising:
a buoyant vessel adapted to absorb energy from water waves; a generator energized by wave energy absorbed by the vessel; a receiving antenna configured to receive computational tasks and data; a transmitting antenna configured to transmit computational results; a networked plurality of computing devices adapted to process received computational tasks and derive computational results; a propulsion system adapted to propel the vessel in a body of water; and a navigation and steering system adapted to steer the vessel; wherein the plurality of computing devices are energized by electrical power produced by the generator.

2 . The floating data center of claim 1 , further comprising:
an energy management system configured to energize and de-energize at least one of the plurality of computing devices; wherein the energy management system energizes de-energized computing devices when the electrical power output by the generator increases and becomes sufficient to energize an increased number of the plurality of computing devices; and wherein the energy management system de-energizes energized computing devices when the electrical power output by the generator decreases and becomes sufficient to energize only a reduced number of the plurality of computing devices.

3 . The floating data center of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heat dissipation circuit configured to receive thermal energy produced by the plurality of computing devices and to transmit said thermal energy to the body of water.

4 . The floating data center of claim 1 , further comprising a task management system configured to store pending computational tasks.

5 . The floating data center of claim 1 , wherein said floating data center is adapted to mine a cryptocurrency block chain header.

6 . The floating data center of claim 1 , wherein the received computational tasks and data are received via encoded electromagnetic signals.

7 . The floating data center of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted computational results are transmitted via encoded electromagnetic signals.

8 . The floating data center of claim 1 , wherein the receiving antenna and the transmitting antenna are the same antenna.

9 . A method for processing a computational task comprising:
placing into a body of water a self-propelled vessel containing a networked plurality of computing devices energized by a wave-energized electrical generator; specifying at a first location remote from the vessel a computational task; transmitting the computational task to the vessel; deriving a computational result within the computing device network; and transmitting to a second remote location the computational result.

Assignees

• Lone Gull Holdings Ltd

Inventors

• Sheldon-Coulson Garth Alexander
• Moffat Brian Lee

Classifications

• Y02E10/30

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

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• F03B13/1885

  and the wom is tied to the rem · CPC title

• F05B2260/42

  Storage of energy · CPC title

• F05B2240/931

  which is a vehicle · CPC title