A wave power generation system includes a wave receiving member, ram cylinder hydraulic pump device, change value sensor, accumulator device, hydraulic motor, power generator, and controller. The member is arranged near a virtual reflection surface that reflects a coming incident wave. The controller sets a torque command used when the generator generates electric power. Based on a differential value of a change value detected by the sensor and changes in accordance with a swing amount of the member, the controller determines whether the member is swinging toward a first or second side in a swing direction. When the controller determines the member is swinging toward the second side by receiving force of a reflected wave reflected by the virtual reflection surface, the controller changes the torque command from the command set when the controller determines the member is swinging toward the first side by receiving force of the incident wave.

Disclosed herein are flexible wave energy converters that actuate electrical generators with dynamic strain (e.g., flexing, stretching, twisting, distension) to convert wave energy to electrical energy. The flexible wave energy converter utilizes flexible electric generators embedded throughout the wave-energy converter's flexible body.

A wave receiving mechanism includes: a shaft driving a hydraulic pump; and a wave receiving member including an arm and wave receiving plate, the arm unrotatably attached to the shaft, the plate being at the arm receiving a wave force, the wave receiving member swinging about the shaft by receiving the wave force and turning the shaft turn. The arm includes first and second arm portions, and a bendable portion, the first arm portion unrotatably attached to the shaft, the second arm portion being at the plate, the bendable portion coupling the first and second arm portions. When a swing angle of the first arm portion is less than a first predetermined angle, the bendable portion makes the arm portions swing integrally. When the swing angle of the first arm portion is the predetermined angle, the bendable portion allows the second arm portion to bend relative to the first.

A means for improving the motion stability of a floating, semi-submerged, or submerged body used in, multi-capture-mode wave energy converters (WECs) having two or more bodies, against wave-induced heave, surge, and pitching forces, while reducing the size, mass and cost of such bodies or bases, thus improving the relative motion and hence capture efficiency of such WECs over a broad spectrum of wave periods and wave heights. Stabilizing counter moments against wave-induced motion are substituted by strategic placement of drag plates or planes entraining seawater mass or water-filled cavities within, or attached to, the bases and/or at least one tensioned seabed-affixed cable. The base or reaction-body stabilizing means is disclosed in a two-body multi-capture-mode, deep-water, surface-deployed, wave-terminator-type WEC to concurrently increase wave energy capture efficiency and reduce the volume, mass, and capital cost of the WEC's stabilized reaction body or base.

A device to stabilize, reduce, or control the wave or wind-induced heave (vertical), surge (lateral), or pitching (rolling) motion of a floating or semi-submerged buoyant base, raft, barge, buoy or other buoyant body such as the buoyant base of a wave energy converter or a floating wind turbine base. The device concurrently allows the floating base to self-orient or weathervane to substantially maintains its orientation with respect to the direction of oncoming waves, winds, or wind gusts. The device also facilitates maintaining the submerged depth or vertical orientation of the buoyant base relative to the still water line to compensate for tidal depth changes. The device utilizes a second substantially submerged buoyant body having a center of buoyancy and at least one tensioned seabed connection located substantially below and forward or up-sea or up-wind of the center of buoyancy of the buoyant base. A structural member, which can optionally also be buoyant or integral with the base or second submerged body, connects the submerged buoyant body with the floating base.

A wave energy converter is provided. The wave energy converter includes a paravane rotationally and pivotably coupled to a support structure, and operatively coupled to an energy collection device. A method of harvesting water wave energy is provided. The method includes positioning the paravane within water to be impacted by water waves, and transferring water wave energy from the paravane to the energy collection device.

Described herein are wave energy conversion systems including actuated geometry components. An example system may include at least one body portion configured to transfer wave energy to a power take off device, and at least one actuated geometry component that is connected to the at least one body portion, the at least one actuated geometry component operable to modify a geometric profile of the system.

This invention relates to an arrangement in a wave energy recovery apparatus and to a method for operating the wave energy recovery apparatus. The apparatus comprises at least a base (1), on which a reciprocating panel (2) is installed, a pivot shaft (7) for the reciprocating panel (2), a control system, and one or more power-take-off (PTO) units (3) to convert kinetic energy of waves or tidal currents to another type of energy. The arrangement comprises adjustment means (5, 5, 5) to set the top of the panel (2) in its vertical position to approximately correspond to the altitude of the surface (8) of the water.

An apparatus that floats at the surface of a body of water over which waves pass, causing a nominally vertical axis of the apparatus to tilt away from an axis normal to the resting surface of the body of water. Tilting allows a fluid to flow through a channel that in an un-tilted apparatus would require the gravitational potential energy of the fluid to increase (i.e., to flow uphill), but, because of the tilt allows the fluid to flow through the channel in a downhill direction. Successive wave-driven tilts of the apparatus incrementally raise water to a head from which a portion of its gravitational potential energy can be converted to electrical power by causing the water to return to a lower level by flowing through a water turbine, or through some other apparatus that performs a useful function when supplied with a flow of high-pressure water.

A wave energy collector placed in ocean water a given distance from a shoreline, the wave energy collector formed by at least one parallelogram structure with an even number of mechanical actuators are positioned within the parallelogram structure. Each mechanical actuator has a respective hose with a check valve to suck ocean water in and blow ocean water out under pressure for energy conversion.