The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of power generators, and in particular relates to a marine support column structure with power generation function. The support column structure solves technical problems that existing marine power generators can only generate power with single energy and have few functions and so on. The marine support column structure with power generation function includes a column body. The support column structure of the present disclosure is capable of generating power with sea wind and waves, and is further capable of serving as a guardrail.

An assembly for converting linear and rotational motions of a floating vessel into electrical energy. The assembly provides a floating vessel, such as a boat, and an operationally connected power generation unit that harnesses the natural buoyant movements of the vessel to generate electrical energy in the power generation unit for use by the vessel or other electrical consumption system. As the vessel moves in linear and rotational movements, the power generation unit reciprocally pivots. This pivoting motion urges a push rod in and out of the power generation unit. A piston extends from the push rod. A reservoir feeds hydraulic fluids through a closed loop system. The piston urges the hydraulic fluid into a hydraulic motor that creates a mechanical action. A generator converts the mechanical action to electrical energy. A platform pivots between a table position and a step position to provide greater functionality of the vessel.

Disclosed is a system for deploying, stationing, and translocating buoyant wind- and wave-energy converters and/or other buoyant structures or devices, as well as farms of same. Also disclosed is a novel apparatus and/or machine comprising a farm of buoyant wave energy converters deployed by said method and/or configured to be deployed by said method.

A reciprocating fluid-energy device to be used in a flowing fluid, having a foil, an upstream support member, a downstream support member, and a frame, where the frame retains the device in place within the flowing fluid, the support members movably attach the foil to the frame, and the foil moves laterally back and forth across the direction of the flow of the fluid, with changes in direction of the movement of the foil occurring automatically and spontaneously without external intervention other than the force of the flowing fluid.

This disclosure provides improved nautical craft that can travel and navigate on their own. A hybrid vessel is described that converts wave motion to locomotive thrust by mechanical means, and also converts wave motion to electrical power for storage in a battery. The electrical power can then be tapped to provide locomotive power during periods where wave motion is inadequate and during deployment. The electrical power can also be tapped to even out the undulating thrust that is created when locomotion of the vessel is powered by wave motion alone.

An apparatus attached to the underside of a barge, a boat, a ship, a buoyant marine structure, and/or the like may include a plurality of conduits. A configuration of the plurality of conduits may increase the velocity of water moving, for example, at a high velocity due to the buoyant force (upward force) under the barge, the boat, the ship, the buoyant marine structure, and/or the like. The water, due to the increased velocity, may cause a plurality of hydroelectric generators to produce a vast amount of electricity and/or power.

A towing apparatus has a spine with multiple generally parallel spine members extending in a longitudinal direction and having a length of at least 100 m, and with a leading end and a trailing end. A series of blades are mounted to the spine by couplers which allow the blade to rotate about an axis substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction, each blade having a first surface facing generally in the trailing end direction and a second surface facing generally in the leading end direction. Restraints prevent rotation of each blade by more than a pre-set amount towards the leading end, so that impingement of a wave on the first surface applies a force to the apparatus in the leading end direction. A pair of the towing apparatus' may be arranged to connect to a floating collector with a beach shape to collect floating debris on the sea surface, ridges helping to retain the debris on the slope until it is washed up into a channel.

A system for desalinating water is disclosed. The system comprises a subsea reverse osmosis unit located beneath the surface of a body of water, a first liquid column comprising seawater, a second liquid column comprising desalinated water with a salinity less than seawater, and a brine discharge outlet. Due to the difference in density between the seawater and the desalinated water, the gravitational hydrostatic pressure of the first liquid column may be greater than the gravitational hydrostatic pressure of the second liquid column. At least a portion of the pressure difference for reverse osmosis desalination may be provided by the difference in gravitational hydrostatic pressure between the first liquid column and the second liquid column. A significant reduction in desalination energy consumption may be enabled by discharging the brine at an elevation lower than the maximum elevation of the first liquid column or the second liquid column.

A hydrokinetic electric generator system for use in water that includes a first generator located inside a submersible first housing with fore and aft sections with respective fore and aft attachment points, a center of mass of the first generator located between the fore and aft attachment points, the first generator having a shaft extending out the aft section of the first housing with a turbine attached to the shaft, a flotation support structured to float on the water, and a first cable having a first end attached to the flotation support and a second end attached to the first attachment point on the fore section, and a second cable having a first end attached to the flotation support and a second end attached to the second attachment point in a manner to permit the system to change position in response to changes in direction of water current.

Systems and methods for use in capturing energy from natural resources. In one form, the systems and methods capture energy from natural resources, such as movement of fluid in a body of water, and convert it into electrical energy.