CA1172940A - Wave powered electrical generating system - Google Patents

Wave powered electrical generating system

Info

Publication number
CA1172940A
CA1172940A CA000386119A CA386119A CA1172940A CA 1172940 A CA1172940 A CA 1172940A CA 000386119 A CA000386119 A CA 000386119A CA 386119 A CA386119 A CA 386119A CA 1172940 A CA1172940 A CA 1172940A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
floats
turbines
fluid
pistons
drive shafts
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000386119A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Hannes Veintrop
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA000386119A priority Critical patent/CA1172940A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1172940A publication Critical patent/CA1172940A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • FMECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03BMACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS
    • F03B13/00Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates
    • F03B13/12Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy
    • F03B13/14Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using wave energy
    • F03B13/16Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using wave energy using the relative movement between a wave-operated member, i.e. a "wom" and another member, i.e. a reaction member or "rem"
    • F03B13/18Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using wave energy using the relative movement between a wave-operated member, i.e. a "wom" and another member, i.e. a reaction member or "rem" where the other member, i.e. rem is fixed, at least at one point, with respect to the sea bed or shore
    • F03B13/1845Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using wave energy using the relative movement between a wave-operated member, i.e. a "wom" and another member, i.e. a reaction member or "rem" where the other member, i.e. rem is fixed, at least at one point, with respect to the sea bed or shore and the wom slides relative to the rem
    • F03B13/187Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using wave energy using the relative movement between a wave-operated member, i.e. a "wom" and another member, i.e. a reaction member or "rem" where the other member, i.e. rem is fixed, at least at one point, with respect to the sea bed or shore and the wom slides relative to the rem and the wom directly actuates the piston of a pump
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/30Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Other Liquid Machine Or Engine Such As Wave Power Use (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Disclosed is a power generating system which derives power from the action of water waves. The system comprises a main support body mounted above a water surface subject to wave action on leg members secured to the bottom beneath the water surface. The support body has a central output shaft coupled to drive at least one output device. A plurality of drive shafts are coupled to apply torque to the output shaft in one direction only, the drive shafts being driven by hydraulic turbines, each of which are supplied with fluid under pressure by reciprocating pumps having pistons connected to and driven by floats which are movable up and down in response to waves moving beneath the support body. Ramps are provided beneath the water surface and surrounding the floats to increase the height of waves moving past the floats. The system produces a substantially constant turning action and can be made sufficiently large to derive energy from more than one wave at a time. With a large scale system, high power output is possible and by arranging the floats in a circular pattern, wave direction is unimportant. The output device may be an electrical generator or compressor, for example.

Description

t 1 729~0 This invention relates to power generating system and in particular a system utilizing the energy of water waves.
Various wave operated power mechanisms have been devised in the past but the system of the present invention is believed superior in that it can produce a substantially constant turning action , for a given wave height, with high power output and, if sufficiently large, can derive energy from more than one wave at a time. By being made in a circular configuration, wave direction is unimportant and the provision of wave ramps amplifies the action of the waves so that floats, driven up and down by the waves, move through a larger distance than they would without the ramps.
Canadian Patent 540,418 of Helm, issued May 7, 1957, discloses a wave operated power mechanism in which a plurality of floats are arranged in a circular array. The floats are arranged at the ends of pivoted arms, the other ends of which have arcuate racks. As the floats move up and down, the racks drive gears through other gears including means for permitting one of the pinions to idle while the other pinion is driving, i.e. a ratchet arrangement.
The apparatus includes a shaft 42 which is rotated as the floats move up and down, all of the pivoted arms providing power to a shaft.
The structure drives a pump by a belt and the device may be connect-ed to a suitable power conversion mechanism. The present invention uses floats which move straight up and down and drive pumps which, in turn, supply fluid to hydraulic turbines. The turbines are coupled for rotation in one direction only to an output shaft. No arcuate racks are required. Furthermore, ramps are provided to amplify wave action, as will be discussed in detail later on.

' 172940 Canadian Patent S62,217 of Caloia, issued August 26, 1958, discloses a wave motor using a plurality of floats which rock lever arms due to wave action. Up and down motion of the lever arms results in the driving of the pistons of pumps which all connect to a fluid motor and reservoir. The structure is, however, mounted on the shore and cannot use waves coming from any direction, as can the present invention.
Canadian Patent 1,059,876 of Tornabene, issued August 7, 1979, discloses an arrangement using a single large reciprocating float which moves up and down under wave action to move a rack which drives a fluid pump which, in turn, drives a turbine. The present invention utilizes a plurality of floats to produce a constant turning action. That is, as some floats are moving down, and not producing power, other floats are moving up and applying power to a central output shaft.
According to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided power generating system comprising a main support body mounted above a water surface subject to wave action on leg members secured to the bottom beneath the water sur-face. The support body has a central output shaft coupled to driveat least one and a plurality of radially spaced apart drive shafts are coupled to apply torque to the output shaft in one direction only, the drive shafts being driven by hydraulic turbines, each of which are supplied with fluid under pressure by reciprocating pumps having pistons connected to and driven by floats which are movable up and down in response to waves moving beneath the support body. Ramp means are provided beneath the water surface and surrounding the floats to increase the height of waves ' 1729~

moving past the floats.
The output device may be, for example, an electrical generator or air compressor.
The invention will now be described in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is an elevation view, partly in cross-section, of a power generating system according to the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the disposition of the drive shafts about the central ouput shaft, Figure 3 is an elevation view partly in cross-section illustrating the pump and turbine arrangement used to power the drive shafts t Figure 4 is a detail of the means whereby the drive shafts apply power in one direction only to the central output shaft, Figure 5 is a further diagram of the system illustrating a ramp, Figure 5A is a diagram illustrating the amplifying action of the ramps, and , 20 Figure 6, on the same sheet of drawings as Figure 2, illustrates the fact that the system may derive energy from more than one wave at a time.
Referring to Figure 1, the power generating system according to the invention comprises a main support body 10 mounted above a water surface 12 subject to wave action, e.g. off shore in a coastal area or possibly a large lake. The main support body 10 is mounted on leg members 13 secured to the bottom (not shown) beneath the water surface 12. The support body 10 has ! 172940 a central output shaft 14 coupled to drive at least one output device 15 through, if necessary, suitable gear change mechanisms 16. The output device 15 may be any suitable device, e.g.
electrical generators or air compressors. A plurality of radially spaced apart drive shafts 18 (see also Fig. 2) are coupled to apply torque to the output shaft 14 in one direction only. The drive shafts 18 are driven by hydraulic turbines 20, each of which are supplied with fluid under pressure by recipro-cating pumps 21 having pistons 22 connected to and driven by floats 25 which are movable up and down in response to waves on the water surface 12 moving beneath the support body 10.
The gear change mechanisms 16 allow changes in speed and torque at the input shafts of the output devices 15, as may be useful during start-up of the system, for example.
Ramp means 26 (see also Fig. 5) are provided beneath the water surface and surrounding the floats to increase the height of waves moving past the floats. As shown in Figure 5A, the height of the waves 30 may be twenty feet without the ramps but, with the ramps 26, the wave heights may be amplified to, for example, twenty eight feet to produce amplified waves 30'.
As illustrated in Figure 2, there may be a large number of drive shafts 18 radially spaced apart around the output shaft 14. The shafts may be disposed at two (or more) different heights as seen in Figures 1 and 4 and their inner ends may be provided with bevel gear means 30 adapted to apply power in one direction only, i.e when the piston 22 of the reciprocating pump 21 is moving up. To achieve the unidirectional application of power, the gears 30 may be provided with ratchet devices 31 which are ! 17294(~

spring biased. Thus, as viewed in Figure 4, counter clockwise rotation of drive shaft 18 will result in the application of power to bevel gear 32 secured to the central output shaft 14. When the pump moves downwardly, and should the drive shaft 18 rotate in a clockwise direction, the ratchet devices 31, which are spring-biased outwardly will retract so that the drive shaft 18 can "free wheel" without turning the gear 30 in the wrong ; direction (counterclockwise as viewed from the top).
The output shaft 14 is mounted in suitable bearing means 35 as shown in Figure 4O
By placing the drive shafts at different heights, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, it becomes possible to have numerous drive shafts without running out of room for the bevel gears 30.
Although two levels of drive shafts are illustrated, more could be used if desired.
Referring to Figure 3, when the piston 22 of a pump 21 is moving upwardly, fluid travels, as indicated by the arrows, through the turbine indicated at 40, which turbine is connected to a drive shaft 18. Following the turbine 40, fluid flows through the diagrammatically illustrated one-way valve 41 to a reservoir 42.
When the pump piston 22 subsequently moves downwardly, fluid may then flow from the reservoir 42 through another one-way valve 43 back into the chamber of the pump 21. In this manner, the turbine 40 is driven in one direction only as fluid cannot flow backwardly through the valve 41 and turbine 40. Also, of course, fluid cannot enter reservoir 42 via valve 43 on an up-stroke of piston 22;
rather fluid is forced to pass through turbine 40.

.

' 17294~
Referring again to Figure 1, it will be noted that there may be provided auxiliary floats 50. The buoyancy of these floats can be selected so as to compensate the weight of the piston 22, float 25 and the interconnecting shafts 51 and 52. Energy does not then have to be taken from the waves to simply overcome the weight attached to the pistons and maximum energy can be extracted for powering the turbines.
Referring to Figure 6, it will be seen that the floats 25 may be disposed in large concentric circular arrays so that energy may be extracted from more than one wave at once, five waves being illustrated by dashed lines in Figure 6.
By disposing the floats in one or more large circular arrays, and by applying torque to the output shaft in one direction only, a substantially constant turning action can be obtained for any given wave height. This is because different pumps are driven at different times as a wave sweeps past beneath the support body.
The system can be constructed on a large scale with numerous floats to derive a large power output. With a circular configuration, wave direction is unimportant; for a given wave height it does not affect power output.
Various minor modifications may occur to those skilled in the art and are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A power generating system comprising a main support body mounted above a water surface subject to wave action on leg members secured to the bottom beneath said water surface, said support body having a central output shaft coupled to drive at least one output device, a plurality of radially spaced apart drive shafts being coupled to apply torque to said output shaft in one direction only, said drive shafts being driven by hydraulic turbines each of which are supplied with fluid under pressure by reciprocating pumps having pistons connected to and driven by floats which are movable up and down in response to waves moving beneath said support body, ramp means being provided beneath said water surface and surrounding said floats to increase the height of waves moving past said floats.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is at least one circular array of floats and associated pumps, turbines and drive shafts.
3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said output shaft is vertical, said drive shafts are horizontal and said drive shafts are coupled via rotary ratchets to bevel gears meshing with bevel gears on said output shaft.
4. A system as claimed in claim 3 including subsidiary floats connected to said pistons, said subsidiary floats being submerged beneath said first-mentioned floats and having a buoyancy such as to compensate for the weight of the pistons, floats and connecting means attached thereto.
5. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said hydraulic turbines are connected via one-way valves to fluid reservoirs whereby, during up-strokes of said pistons, fluid flows through said turbines to said fluid reservoirs whereas, during down-strokes of said pistons, fluid is prevented by the one-way valves from reverse-flowing to said turbines but drains from the reservoirs into the pumps.
6. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said hydraulic turbines are connected via one-way valves to fluid reservoirs whereby, during up-strokes of said pistons, fluid flows through said turbines to said fluid reservoirs whereas, during down-strokes of said pistons, fluid is prevented by the one-way valves from reverse-flowing to said turbines but drains from the reservoirs into the pumps.
7. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said at least one output device is an electrical generator.
8. A system as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 wherein said hydraulic turbines are connected via one-way valves to fluid reservoirs whereby, during up-strokes of said pistons, fluid flows through said turbines to said fluid reservoirs whereas, during down-strokes of said pistons, fluid is prevented by the one-way valves from reverse flowing to said turbines but drains from the reservoirs into the pumps, and wherein said at least one output device is an electrical generator.
9. A system as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said at least one output device is an air compressor.
CA000386119A 1981-09-17 1981-09-17 Wave powered electrical generating system Expired CA1172940A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000386119A CA1172940A (en) 1981-09-17 1981-09-17 Wave powered electrical generating system

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000386119A CA1172940A (en) 1981-09-17 1981-09-17 Wave powered electrical generating system

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1172940A true CA1172940A (en) 1984-08-21

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Family Applications (1)

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CA000386119A Expired CA1172940A (en) 1981-09-17 1981-09-17 Wave powered electrical generating system

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2008041042A1 (en) * 2006-10-06 2008-04-10 Andreas Sarlis Floating system for electric power production from sea waves
CN103437941A (en) * 2013-08-21 2013-12-11 高占山 Tornado ocean wave power generation system technology
WO2016027026A1 (en) * 2014-08-20 2016-02-25 Dumortier Charles Facility for producing electrical energy by means of converting wave energy
DE202022106341U1 (en) 2022-11-11 2022-12-16 Malak Ayad Lewis Philopos Device for converting mechanical and/or kinetic energy into electrical energy
DE202022106342U1 (en) 2022-11-11 2022-12-16 Malak Ayad Lewis Philopos Device for converting mechanical and/or kinetic energy into electrical energy

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2008041042A1 (en) * 2006-10-06 2008-04-10 Andreas Sarlis Floating system for electric power production from sea waves
CN103437941A (en) * 2013-08-21 2013-12-11 高占山 Tornado ocean wave power generation system technology
WO2016027026A1 (en) * 2014-08-20 2016-02-25 Dumortier Charles Facility for producing electrical energy by means of converting wave energy
FR3025004A1 (en) * 2014-08-20 2016-02-26 Charles Dumortier INSTALLATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY BY CONVERSION OF WAVE ENERGY
DE202022106341U1 (en) 2022-11-11 2022-12-16 Malak Ayad Lewis Philopos Device for converting mechanical and/or kinetic energy into electrical energy
DE202022106342U1 (en) 2022-11-11 2022-12-16 Malak Ayad Lewis Philopos Device for converting mechanical and/or kinetic energy into electrical energy

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