A floating piezoelectric assembly for generating energy from waves is provided. The assembly includes a flexible buoyant planar member, an elastic planar member coupled to the same, and two spaced-apart layers of piezoelectric elements extending on and firmly attaching to the top and bottom of the elastic planar member. The elements of a first of the layers are staggered relative to the elements of a second of the layers. The assembly includes a weighted planar member coupled to the buoyant planar member. According to a second aspect, the assembly comprises a first plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart elongate buoyant planar members, a second plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart elongate buoyant planar members, and a series of piezoelectric elements extending between the first and second plurality of buoyant planar members. The assembly further includes a plurality of elastic planar members to which respective ones of the piezoelectric elements couple.

An electricity generator that derives energy from a membrane undulating in a longitudinal direction. The generator having electricity generation modules carried on the membrane, each module having a fixed frame, a movable frame, a coil, and at least one permanent magnet carried by one of the frames in order to generate a voltage when the membrane undulates. The fixed frames are connected to the membrane and the movable frames are disposed at a distance from a neutral axis of the membrane so that, when the membrane undulates in the longitudinal direction, the moveable frame of each electricity generation module slides in a rectilinear movement with respect to the fixed frame so as to generate electrical voltages in the coils of each module.

In certain embodiments, an ocean wave energy extraction system including a wave energy panel may capture kinetic energy from an ocean wave as a force applied to a flexible membrane that drives the WEP back and forth in a reciprocating motion. The WEP dimensions may be selected so that the energy extracted from the wave is maximized and the added mass is minimized. A flexible membrane may be supported on two opposite edges by structural members that may pivot about a base. The shape of the flexible membrane may reciprocate in response to alternating horizontal wave orbital velocities. The force applied to the flexible membrane may be transmitted through the structural members to a power extraction device, such as a hydraulic pump or an electrical generator, that may be mounted to the base. Multiple WEPs may be arranged parallel to the wave crest to produce additional power.

The present invention is a kinetic inshore wave energy conversion (WEC) device which uses the force of the wave to convert ocean water to pressurized water to eventually push on the blades of a turbine on shore to generate electrical energy. The WEC structure is affixed to a pipe reef structure with these pipes filled with water, submerged in the ocean and anchored to the ocean floor by a multiplicity of anchors. The dedicated pipes can run from any distance and extend all the way up to and underneath the shoreline and into a structure on shore which retains the turbine to convert the head pressure of the sea water to energy.

A free floating wave energy converter includes at least one flexible pipe, adapted to float at a surface of a body of water, having an inlet end for receiving alternating slugs of water and air when the pipe is moored facing at an angle to a wave direction in the body of water and having an outlet end in fluid communication with a power takeoff and other devices, a plurality of supports attached to the pipe at spaced apart locations, each of the supports extending traverse to a longitudinal axis of the pipe and outwardly in opposite directions and at least two inflatable tubes attached to the supports on opposite sides of the pipe extending longitudinally substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe, wherein the pipe is raised and lowered relative to the surface of the water by respectively inflating and deflating the tubes with a gas.

The invention relates to an installation having at least one caisson positioned at a given depth in a marine environment, said caisson including a rigid tank in which an oscillating plate moves, said oscillating plate being adapted to oscillate in relation to a vertical axis depending on fluctuations in the height of the water column created by the swell perpendicular to the plate, said tank and plate defining a chamber. The installation is characterised in that the chamber is sealed by a flexible hermetic pouch which is filled with a gas and deforms according to the oscillations of the oscillating plate, the pressure of the gas inside the pouch being adjusted so as to compensate for all or part of the weight of the water column perpendicular to the plate in the absence of swell.

A linear generator includes a permanent magnet array having at least two magnets arranged end-to-end. A set of conductive coils is arranged around the permanent magnet array. A four-phase full wave rectifier is configured to accept alternating current inputs from the set of conductive coils and to produce one or more direct current outputs. A summing circuit is configured to aggregate the one or more direct current outputs from the rectifier to produce a combined, rectified direct current output.

A buoy includes a flotation device configured to float at surface of a body of water. A vibrational linear electric generator (VLEG) is configured to generate power from vibrational oscillations caused by waves using compressed repulsive magnetic fields focused by end magnetic field deflecting magnets. A power collection circuit, which includes a first battery, is configured to collect and store energy generated by the VLEG. One or more electronic components are powered by the vibrational linear electric generator.

An alternator comprising a primary portion and a secondary portion that are movable relative to each other: the primary portion comprises first and second series of magnets arranged to form an alternation of magnets from the first and second series of magnets; the secondary portion comprising a core and a coil surrounding said core. The secondary portion presents a first collector having teeth that are spaced apart in such a manner that during travel of the secondary portion relative to the primary portion in said travel direction, the alternator adopts in alternation first and second distinct configurations, the teeth of the first collector when in the first configuration facing magnets belonging to the first series of magnets, and the teeth, when in the second configuration, facing magnets belonging exclusively to the second series of magnets.

A system and method for moving water up a water column to achieve a sufficient pressure to overcome a reverse osmosis filter. The system includes a rigid outer column for receiving and holding water, with an inner, deformable hose located inside the rigid outer column. The hose has a one-way valve at a distal end of the hose to allow water to enter the hose and an outlet at the proximal end of the hose to allow water to exit the hose. A water-raising device to raise the water within the inner, deformable can include a system that moves sections of water within an inner lumen using a peristaltic motion to drive water upwardly through the inner lumen.