A uniaxial power converting apparatus includes a floating unit into which the kinetic energy of waves is inputted and which is moored at sea by a wire, a direction change unit for changing a direction of the wire, and a power conversion module for transmitting the tension of the wire to a generator. The power conversion module can transmit a driving force to a power shaft to which the generator is connected from a drum around which the wire is wound.

Device for conversion of wave energy into electrical energy and the process for its deployment at the exploitation location, wherein the device comprises a supporting construction composed of buoyancy elements and having a supporting tube attached on the upper side. The device comprises a joint gear on the inner circumference connected with the outside surface of the supporting tube in a sliding manner and a sphere to which is the floating body pivotally connected. The device has two gears, the first flexible gear for connecting the floating body to the second gear and the second gear for connecting the flexible gear to the generator. The flexible gear consists of pulleys and a flexible element, e.g. a rope or a steel cable and the second gear can be arranged in several suitable forms, e.g. rigid elements as a set of a gear and a rack positioned inside the lower supporting tube or a flexible element, e.g. a chain and a sprocket wheel set in the buoyancy element. The supporting construction is by ropes connected to the anchor weight that is made in a form of a sphere segment either directly or through the rolling elements placed in the spherical dent of the anchor base. The invention comprises the process for device deployment at the exploitation location which is particularly suitable due to stable transport with low draught.

A barge for renewable energy recourses is disclosed that comprises a plurality of horizontal axis wind turbines, a plurality of photovoltaic panels; and a plurality of sea-wave generators. The energy harvested by the renewable energy recourses is transformed to electrical energy and the electrical energy is transmitted to a grid onshore. A fleet of a plurality of barges located in deep waters is disclosed as well.

The present invention is a method for controlling a wave-energy-converter system, wherein the gains of a control law having a proportional component are optimally determined in terms of the harvest of energy, and are robust with respect to uncertainties in the dynamics of the wave-energy-converter system. The harvest of energy is maximized for the worst case described by the uncertainties, by solving a semidefinite-positive optimization problem.

The invention is an improved wave energy conversion system (1, 2) including a model predictive control method for an energy conversion machine (1) that maximizes the power output by accounting for the energy conversion efficiency and prediction of a wave (3).

The present invention provides an oscillating water column-oscillating buoy combined wave energy converter. The present invention combines the advantages of the wave energy converters of the oscillating water column and the oscillating buoy. The conversion principles of wave energy of the oscillating water column and the oscillating buoy are on the contrary. The oscillating water column works when the structure does not move, while the oscillating buoy works when the structure substantially vibrates. The oscillating water column and the oscillating buoy are respectively operated in respective spectral ranges without affecting each other, thereby expanding the effective frequency band width of wave energy conversion. Due to the characteristic of absorbing the wave energy at all directions of 360, the absorption efficiency of the wave energy is enhanced. Through the adoption of a fixed structure, stability of the converter can be ensured, generating efficiency is enhanced and maintenance is facilitated.

A system for obtaining energy from surface waves is disclosed. The system can include an array of buoys. The array of buoys can include a framework having a plurality of vertical members. The array of buoys can also include a base buoy coupled to the framework to support the framework in a body of water and maintain the vertical members in a vertical orientation. The array of buoys can further include a plurality of movable buoys. Each of the plurality of movable buoys can be movably disposed about a different one of the vertical members and configured to move relative to the respective vertical members and the base buoy in response to a wave in the body of water. Additionally, the array of buoys can include an energy conversion device operable with each of the plurality of movable buoys to generate power from movement of the movable buoys relative to the vertical members. In addition, the system can include a buoyant tether coupled to the array of buoys to secure the array of buoys to an object.

A Vernier permanent magnet linear generator employs a translator having a plurality of translator modules oriented in a vertical array. At least a portion of the plurality of translator modules has permanent magnets. Supports at lateral edges of the plurality of translator modules and a rod connected to the supports attach the translator to a driving element. The driving element reciprocating the translator in a longitudinal direction. Two stators are supported on a reaction body oppositely spaced from the vertical array of translator modules by an air gap and offset by one half slot pitch. The stators have three phase integral-slot stator windings magnetically interacting with a magnetic field induced by the permanent magnets. A slot depth of the stators is configured such that an 11.sup.th harmonic component of the magnetic field is saturated at a multiple value of a 1.sup.st harmonic component.

A system and method for harnessing the kinetic energy of the ocean to generate electricity. The system includes a dock made from a buoyant material. The dock has floats at its corners that can receive fixed pillars, such that the floats can move up and down relative to the pillars. Either of the float and the respective pillar has one or more permanent magnets while the other has the conductive coil. The movement of the dock and thus the floats relative to the fixed upstanding pillars results in the generation of electricity.

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.