An energy conversion and storage system, comprises a piston defining an enclosed volume. The piston has an inlet valve proximate a bottom of the piston and an outlet valve proximate a top of the piston. A guide having a vertical displacement is arranged so that the piston travels along the guide. The guide has a compressed gas outlet proximate a bottom of the guide and is arranged to move gas into the piston when the piston contacts the compressed gas outlet. The guide has a release valve operator disposed proximate a top of the guide and is arranged to open the outlet valve when the piston contacts the release valve operator. A source of compressed gas in communication with the compressed gas outlet. The system has means for converting motion of the piston along the guide into either (i) motion of another object or (ii) electric power.

Disclosed is an autonomous vessel comprising a hydrodynamic pump that converts the energy of ocean waves into electrical power when the vessel is floating adjacent to an upper surface of an ocean, and utilizes a portion of the generated electrical power produced to charge an electrical energy storage device. The vessel may submerge itself, and then propel itself beneath the water's surface, after which it may return to the surface and resume its production of electrical energy and recharge its electrical energy storage device.

Water buoys sense water characteristics and wirelessly transfer the water characteristics for delivery to a computer system. The computer system receives the water characteristics wirelessly transferred by the water buoys. The computer system receives a location and a user water condition preference transferred by a user communication device. The computer system processes the water characteristics, the location, and the user water condition preference, and in response, generates and transfers water condition information for the location for delivery to the user communication device.

A water buoy data system stabilizes an offshore vessel. Water buoys sense wind characteristics and water characteristics at a location of the vessel. The water buoys wirelessly transfer data messages that indicate the wind characteristics and water characteristics at the location of the vessel for delivery to a computer system. The computer system receives the data messages wirelessly transferred by the water buoys that indicate the wind characteristics and the water characteristics at the location of the vessel. The computer system determines wave forces based on the wind characteristics and the water characteristics at the location of the vessel. The computer system indicates the wave forces to control vessel engine thrusters to counter the wave forces and stabilize the vessel.

Disclosed is an apparatus that adapts the rate of its computational work to match the availability of energy harvested from a stochastic energy source; and, with respect to some types of energy harvesting, regulates the rate of energy capture, the rate of energy conversion, and the rate of consumption of stored potential energy, through its alteration, regulation, and/or adjustment, of that same computational work load.

A buoyant hydrodynamic pump is disclosed that can float on a surface of a body of water over which waves tend to pass. The pump incorporates an open-bottomed tube with a constriction. The tube partially encloses a substantial volume of water with which the tube's constriction interacts, creating and/or amplifying oscillations therein in response to wave action. Wave-driven oscillations result in periodic upward ejections of portions of the water inside the tube that can be collected in a reservoir that is at least partially positioned above the mean water level of the body of water, or pressurized by compressed air or gas, or both. Water within such a reservoir may return to the body of water via a turbine, thereby generating electrical power (making the device a wave engine), or else the device's pumping action can be used for other purposes such as water circulation, propulsion, or cloud seeding.

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.

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.

A pressure-regulating buoyant hydrodynamic pump is disclosed that floats adjacent to a surface of a body of water over which waves tend to pass. In response to wave-induced movements of the device, water is drawn into a mouth at a lower end of an injection tube, and water is ejected from a mouth at an upper end of the injection tube. The ejected water is deposited into an interior of the hollow buoy thereby augmenting a water reservoir therein. And water flows from the water reservoir to and through a water turbine, thereby energizing a generator, power electronics, and an electrical load. A novel water-turbine effluent buffering tube, or chamber, smooths pressure variations felt across the water turbine.

A wave energy conversion device whereby its structural design and positioning converts oscillating wave energy into unidirectional wave induced water flow. A judiciously placed upper closed perimeter boundary positioned on a submerged horizontally oriented surface pierced with an opening, focuses incident waves inward creating a resonant wave condition where the superposition of waves induces a predominantly downward unidirectional flow through the opening. A segmented sealed upper boundary results in the additional storage of water head due to the overtopping of waves, thus further smoothening and increasing the magnitude of the unidirectional flow. This wave energy converter can be utilized with unidirectional hydro turbines for electrical power generation.