A method of operating a downwind floating wind turbine comprising the downwind floating wind turbine floating in a body of water assuming mean heel angle within a range, the mean heel angle defined by a mean pitch angle of a central axis Y of a tower of the downwind floating wind turbine in a direction of wind; and the downwind floating wind turbine operating with a maximum rotor misalignment from a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to gravity while assuming the mean heel angle. The tower includes a turbine with a nacelle, hub and a plurality of blades extending from the hub, the plurality of blades configured to rotate about a rotor axis R, the rotor axis R having rotor tilt angle defined by an angle of rotor axis R relative to a perpendicular axis to the central axis Y.

A pump intake adapter for pumping shallow levels of fluid from a surface to be drained, the pump intake adapter including a connection on the pump intake adapter to convey the fluid away from the pump intake adapter; an intake surface on the pump intake adapter; and a portion of the intake surface of the pump intake adapter that in operation does not contact the surface to be drained, and creates an open conduit between the pump intake adapter and the surface to be drained through which fluid may flow, the open conduit being in fluid communication with the connection on the pump intake adapter. Other systems and methods are provided.

A pump intake adapter for pumping shallow levels of fluid from a surface to be drained, the pump intake adapter including a connection on the pump intake adapter to convey the fluid away from the pump intake adapter; an intake surface on the pump intake adapter; and a portion of the intake surface of the pump intake adapter that in operation does not contact the surface to be drained, and creates an open conduit between the pump intake adapter and the surface to be drained through which fluid may flow, the open conduit being in fluid communication with the connection on the pump intake adapter. Other systems and methods are provided.

A wave energy converter (1) has: a buoyant structure (2) which, in use, floats on water; a generator (18); a generator drive mechanism (38) on board the buoyant structure (2), the generator drive mechanism (38) having an rotational input drive shaft (20) and a rotational output drive shaft (36); a drive member (22) operably connected to the input drive shaft (20), the drive member (22) being moveable back and forth between a first position and a second position; a biasing arrangement (23, 26) for example a buoyant block acting on the drive member; and, a submerged element 4, 4′ which, in use, moves below the surface of the water out of phase with the buoyant structure (2), the drive member (22) being attached by a tether (28) to the submerged element (4). In use, when the buoyant structure (2) encounters a wave crest, the spacing between the buoyant structure (2) and the submerged element (4, 4′) increases and the drive member (22) is pulled towards the second position by the tether (28), and, when the buoyant structure (2) encounters a wave trough, the spacing between the buoyant structure (2) and the submerged element (4, 4′) decreases and the drive member (22) is urged towards the first position by the biasing arrangement (23, 26). The back and forth movement of the drive member (22) between the first and second positions causes the input drive shaft (20) to rotate and, thereby, causes the output drive shaft (36) to rotate. The submerged element (4, 4′) is preferably a heave plate. The invention also comprises a heave plate for a submerged, partly submerged or floating structure.

A wave energy converter (1) has: a buoyant structure (2) which, in use, floats on water; a generator (18); a generator drive mechanism (38) on board the buoyant structure (2), the generator drive mechanism (38) having an rotational input drive shaft (20) and a rotational output drive shaft (36); a drive member (22) operably connected to the input drive shaft (20), the drive member (22) being moveable back and forth between a first position and a second position; a biasing arrangement (23, 26) for example a buoyant block acting on the drive member; and, a submerged element 4, 4′ which, in use, moves below the surface of the water out of phase with the buoyant structure (2), the drive member (22) being attached by a tether (28) to the submerged element (4). In use, when the buoyant structure (2) encounters a wave crest, the spacing between the buoyant structure (2) and the submerged element (4, 4′) increases and the drive member (22) is pulled towards the second position by the tether (28), and, when the buoyant structure (2) encounters a wave trough, the spacing between the buoyant structure (2) and the submerged element (4, 4′) decreases and the drive member (22) is urged towards the first position by the biasing arrangement (23, 26). The back and forth movement of the drive member (22) between the first and second positions causes the input drive shaft (20) to rotate and, thereby, causes the output drive shaft (36) to rotate. The submerged element (4, 4′) is preferably a heave plate. The invention also comprises a heave plate for a submerged, partly submerged or floating structure.

A floatable offshore structure, in particular a floatable offshore wind turbine, includes at least one floatable foundation with at least one floating body. The offshore structure further includes at least one anchoring arrangement configured to fix the offshore structure to an underwater ground in an anchoring state of the offshore structure. The anchoring arrangement includes at least one anchor connection between an anchor and the floatable foundation and at least one position stabilization device configured to change the length of the anchor connection between the anchor and the floatable foundation in the anchoring state based on at least one attitude parameter of the offshore structure and at least one attitude set point parameter.

A floatable offshore structure, in particular a floatable offshore wind turbine, includes at least one floatable foundation with at least one floating body. The offshore structure further includes at least one anchoring arrangement configured to fix the offshore structure to an underwater ground in an anchoring state of the offshore structure. The anchoring arrangement includes at least one anchor connection between an anchor and the floatable foundation and at least one position stabilization device configured to change the length of the anchor connection between the anchor and the floatable foundation in the anchoring state based on at least one attitude parameter of the offshore structure and at least one attitude set point parameter.

An amphibious robot is provided. An aspect of the robot includes an elongated flexible body, actuators in the flexible body and spaced apart along a length of the flexible body. The actuators are configured to move the flexible body in a serpentine or concertina motion on land and in water. An additional aspect includes a camera coupled adjacent to an end of the flexible body, at least one sensor coupled to the flexible body, and a buoyancy controller located in the flexible body. Another aspect includes a power source coupled to the flexible body and configured to power the actuators, the camera, the sensors, and the buoyancy controller. Yet another aspect employs an electric controller to control the actuators and receive data from the sensors.

An amphibious robot is provided. An aspect of the robot includes an elongated flexible body, actuators in the flexible body and spaced apart along a length of the flexible body. The actuators are configured to move the flexible body in a serpentine or concertina motion on land and in water. An additional aspect includes a camera coupled adjacent to an end of the flexible body, at least one sensor coupled to the flexible body, and a buoyancy controller located in the flexible body. Another aspect includes a power source coupled to the flexible body and configured to power the actuators, the camera, the sensors, and the buoyancy controller. Yet another aspect employs an electric controller to control the actuators and receive data from the sensors.

The present invention discloses a floating platform, wherein multiple layers of compartments are configured along the height direction of the floating platform, and the center of gravity of each layer of compartments in a full-load process and a loading and unloading process is always located on a vertical line where the whole center of gravity of the floating platform is located; the multiple annular compartments are of equal-ratio subdivision in volume: the volume ratio of every two adjacent upper and lower annular compartments is inversely proportional to the density of liquid stored in the compartments; in the practical loading process, the floating platform is always kept at a constant displacement to maintain the waterplane unchanged by adjusting crude oil or seawater loaded in different layers of compartments, and thus the floating plate always has optimal hydrodynamic performance.