A hybrid energy harvesting system for powering underwater vehicles having at least one thermal engine, at least one of a solar or a wave energy harvester, and a battery which stores electric energy produced by the harvesters. The energy harvesters keep the battery charged and thereby expand an underwater vehicle's operational areas to high latitudes and shallow water. Multiple thermal engines employing different phase-change materials can be used to expand the vehicle's working temperature range and thus allow it to operate over a larger area. An electric motor powered by the battery and a pump driven by the motor can be used to pump hydraulic fluid between the accumulators and external bladders of the thermal engines to cause the vehicle to descend and ascend when the thermal gradient to which the vehicle is subjected is insufficient.

The invention relates to a system that includes a wave energy converter and an assembly, adapted to be driven by the wave energy converter. The wave energy converter includes an array, in the form of rows and columns, of floating elements adapted to float on a sea surface in the vicinity of a shore. Each floating element has a first and a second end, each end being connected to a lever, the lever being connected through a bearing to a pivot point. Each lever is connected in an articulated manner to a piston rod in a wave-actuated liquid pump, that is in fluid communication with the pipe, adapted to lead a liquid to a workstation, wherein the workstation includes the assembly.

The inventor provides a pollution-free electricity generator that harnesses the weight and power of ocean waves to turn a shaft that runs an electricity generator. The inventor anchors the ocean wave drill bit corkscrew apparatus in the surf so that ocean waves roll over half of the drill bit corkscrew apparatus and turns a shaft that powers and electricity generator.

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.

A Tidal Electricity Generator device and system providing a simple and effective way to generate electricity by harnessing tidal motion. The device has no parts to churn up the water, and does not actively force water through blades or screens. The device works passively to extract energy from the water by capturing the buoyancy of a bobber which rises and falls with the tides and/or gravity. Thus the kinetic energy of the tides is converted into mechanical energy which can then be transferred through a series of gears and other components to power an electric generator or other electric power grid. With this system, there is nothing to harm the environment or any sea life.

A wave energy converter has blades (54, 56, 57, 59) on frames (51, 52) rotating about a pivot joint (53) on a structure (4, 52, 502, 505, 86). There is reciprocating rotary motion of the frame with respect to the structure, providing reciprocating rotary input power to a mechanism (73, 94, 98). The mechanism (98) may be arranged so that the reciprocating input power is transferred to uni-directional power via pulleys (101, 106) and sprag clutches (102, 107).

The invention relates to a ducted wind turbine having a turbine rotor assembly which extracts kinetic energy from air flowing there past. The rotor assembly includes a plurality of rotor blades having rotor tips at their outermost ends which define a rotor tip sweep circumference. A duct assembly at least partially surrounds said rotor tip sweep circumference and a base platform supports the ducted wind turbine. The duct assembly is mounted on the base platform by way of a weathervane bearing arrangement such that the duct assembly may weathervane around the turbine rotor assembly in response to changes in wind direction. A semi-submersible support platform, wave energy capture apparatus, torsional bearing mechanism and a latticework wind turbine tower associated with the ducted wind turbine are also provided.

A wave energy capture system can include a plurality of arm assemblies. Each arm assembly includes a floatation device and an arm that is coupled to the floatation device and to a body via a pivot. The arm assemblies independently pivot around the pivots with respect to the body in response to movement of the floatation devices caused by waves in water. A mechanical energy capture system converts the independent pivoting of the plurality of arm assemblies around the pivots to electrical energy and provides the electrical energy to either an electronic device that is electrically coupled to the mechanical energy capture system to power the electronic device, or to a battery to recharge the battery.

The present invention relates to the utilization of wave energy and its conversion into operating motion of an electrical energy generating system. The system for generation of electrical energy through the conversion of aquatic wave motion includes floating bodies and a constant rotation mechanism, which converts the two-way linear motion of an inflexible transmission shaft or a flexible transmission shafts into one-way rotation of an output shaft of the constant rotation mechanism. This mechanism allows utilization of wave energy in two directions caused by the rise and fall of waves. The output shaft of the constant rotation mechanism is coupled to a force multiplier that is further coupled to a generator which generates electrical energy. Constant rotation mechanism can be driven by inflexible transmission shaft pivotally coupled to the floating bodies at one end, and the other end to an input gear of the constant rotation mechanism. Depending on the height of the wave and the wavelength, various constructions of floating bodies are used. Certain floating bodies are designed for the waves of a smaller amplitude and smaller wavelength, while other floating bodies are designed for bigger amplitude and bigger wavelength.

The present application discloses an energy harvesting system for harvesting energy from water waves, such as ocean waves. The energy harvesting system comprises: a base rotational mechanism comprising a first shaft and a positive rotational direction about the axis of the first shaft; an electricity generator configured to generate electricity from the rotation of the first shaft in the positive rotational direction; and a plurality of rotation driving apparatuses. Each rotation driving apparatus comprises a freewheel mechanism whose axis of rotation is the same as the axis of the first shaft, a swing component which may make a two-way rotation of limited angular range, a floating component comprising a buoy which is connected to an of the swing component, and a spring or weight which directly or indirectly exerts a force on the swing component. The floating component of a rotation driving apparatus may be pushed up by a rising water wave, and at the same time, energy may be stored by the spring or the weight. When water level recedes, the spring or the weight may release its stored energy and may force a rotational part of the freewheel mechanism to rotate in the positive rotational direction.