F03B13/183

Hydroelectric turbine for generating electricity by converting energy of ocean waves
20220381216 · 2022-12-01 · ·

A hydroelectric turbine designed to operate in a bi-directional reversing water flow caused by ocean waves, comprising an annular stator with two axially spaced sets of a plurality of guide vanes placed along its circumference that are inclined in the axial direction, an annular rotor with a plurality of concavo-convex blades placed along its circumference with an electric generator attached to it. The rotor is placed to rotate about its axis between the two sets of the stator guide vanes. Wherein, the stator and rotor are placed within the cylindrical part of an hourglass-shaped double funnel so when the ocean wave moves in one direction, the water flow enters the turbine through one end of the double funnel (inlet) and passes through the channels formed by one of the stator guide vane sets towards the rotor blades. The channels formed by the stator guide vanes are inclined at an angle to the rotor rotation plane, so that the water flows in the direction of the rotor rotation. After passing through the channels formed by the rotor blades and the channels formed by the other set of the stator guide vanes the water flows out of the turbine through the opposite end of the double funnel (outlet). When the wave moves in the opposite direction and the water flow direction reverses accordingly, the outlet becomes the inlet and the inlet becomes the outlet. The turbine keeps rotating in the same direction, transmitting the rotation to the electric generator and providing continuous high efficiency energy conversion.

Buoyant Housing Device Enabling Large-Scale Power Extraction From Fluid Current
20170356416 · 2017-12-14 ·

A buoyant energy generating housing apparatus submersed in fluid currents. The disclosed embodiments comprises rotary turbines that harvest the kinetic energy in the currents, and buoys that house equipment and provide buoyancy to support the system. Movements and rotations are restrained by multiple cables or tendons that are anchored on the seabed, in combination with the internal active ballast system in the buoys. Applications in currents with direction change are possible with the use of two-buoy embodiments, further assisted by the optional use of weathervanes.

SELF-PROPELLED BUOYANT ENERGY CONVERTER AND METHOD FOR DEPLOYING SAME

Disclosed is a system for deploying, stationing, and translocating buoyant wind- and wave-energy converters and/or other buoyant structures or devices, as well as farms of same. Also disclosed is a novel apparatus and/or machine comprising a farm of buoyant wave energy converters deployed by said method and/or configured to be deployed by said method.

Apparatus, system, and method for raising water using a container with membrane
09732735 · 2017-08-15 · ·

An apparatus, system, and method for raising water is provided. The apparatus includes at least one container movable between at least a descended position and a ascended position within a body of water. A non-water-permeable membrane is positioned within the at least one container, wherein the membrane is movable within an interior compartment of the at least one container to separate the interior compartment into at least a first and a second portion. At least one vent structure is within a wall of the at least one container, wherein movement of the membrane controls a flow of water through the at least one vent structure and into at least one of the first and second portions.

Single bucket drag-type turbine and wave power generator
09816480 · 2017-11-14 · ·

The present invention provides a drag-type turbine capable of efficiently extracting kinetic energy of fluid particles orbiting in waves and a wave power generator comprising said drag-type turbine. This turbine is a single bucket drag-type turbine with a single half-pipe bucket and a counterweight oppositely facing the bucket, where fluid particles in orbital motion in a wave impel the bucket and the counterweight to rotate them as a unitary body.

Offshore Farming System

An offshore farming system comprising an elongated vertical support column floating vertically in water with a larger extension below sea surface than above the sea surface, and a rigid cage structure enclosing the elongated vertical support column in circumferential direction and arranged movable in longitudinal direction of the elongated vertical support column.

Cycloidal wave energy converter using fixed differential buoyancy to control operating torques
11719216 · 2023-08-08 ·

A floating mooring system for a single CycWEC applies counter forces and torques to keep a generator suitably stationary for power generation without requiring fixed attachments to the ocean floor or requiring a large frame interconnecting multiple CycWECs. The mooring system uses floats or floatation structure with differential ballasting to counter operating torque and drag plates to counter reactive forces. The floatation structures may be used to float the CycWEC for transport to a deployment location, where changing the overall ballasting of the floatation structures submerges the CycWEC to a desired depth and differential ballasting in the floatation structures counts expected operating torques.

Wave energy device with constricted tube and generator pod

A wave energy converter utilizes a flotation module that rises and falls with the passage of waves, a submerged tube containing a constriction which multiplies the speed of the water passing therethrough, a turbine (or other hydrokinetic apparatus) positioned so as to extract energy from the accelerated flow of water within and/or through the tube, and a submerged gas- or liquid-filled chamber housing one or more energy conversion components (e.g. generators, transformers, rectifiers, inverters). By providing a chamber in proximity to the turbine, generators can be placed in closer proximity to the turbine that turns them, and the shared shaft can be shorter than if the generators were placed in the buoy adjacent to the surface.

WAVE ENERGY DEVICE WITH CONSTRICTED TUBE AND GENERATOR POD

A wave energy converter utilizes a flotation module that rises and falls with the passage of waves, a submerged tube containing a constriction which multiplies the speed of the water passing therethrough, a turbine (or other hydrokinetic apparatus) positioned so as to extract energy from the accelerated flow of water within and/or through the tube, and a submerged gas- or liquid-filled chamber housing one or more energy conversion components (e.g. generators, transformers, rectifiers, inverters). By providing a chamber in proximity to the turbine, generators can be placed in closer proximity to the turbine that turns them, and the shared shaft can be shorter than if the generators were placed in the buoy adjacent to the surface.

Wave energy device with constricted tube and generator pod

A wave energy converter utilizes a flotation module that rises and falls with the passage of waves, a submerged tube containing a constriction which multiplies the speed of the water passing therethrough, a turbine (or other hydrokinetic apparatus) positioned so as to extract energy from the accelerated flow of water within and/or through the tube, and a submerged gas- or liquid-filled chamber housing one or more energy conversion components (e.g. generators, transformers, rectifiers, inverters). By providing a chamber in proximity to the turbine, generators can be placed in closer proximity to the turbine that turns them, and the shared shaft can be shorter than if the generators were placed in the buoy adjacent to the surface.