EP0036586A2 - Die Wasserwellenbewegung ausnützende Energie-Erzeugungsvorrichtung - Google Patents

Die Wasserwellenbewegung ausnützende Energie-Erzeugungsvorrichtung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0036586A2
EP0036586A2 EP81101874A EP81101874A EP0036586A2 EP 0036586 A2 EP0036586 A2 EP 0036586A2 EP 81101874 A EP81101874 A EP 81101874A EP 81101874 A EP81101874 A EP 81101874A EP 0036586 A2 EP0036586 A2 EP 0036586A2
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
restraining means
buoyant member
sea
means comprises
container
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP81101874A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP0036586A3 (de
Inventor
Ennio Piccoli
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
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0036586A2 publication Critical patent/EP0036586A2/de
Publication of EP0036586A3 publication Critical patent/EP0036586A3/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03B—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS
    • F03B13/00—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates
    • F03B13/12—Adaptations 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

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a power generating system which utilizes the wave motion of sea or lakes.
  • waves are instead mostly due to the wind. Even after the wind has abated, waves continue to propagate, turning initially into a long swell and ending on the coast with gradually decreasing depths of propagation. As they approach the shore, waves at a certain point change in character, becoming shorter, higher, and losing speed (while retaining their period), as well as changing their travel direction, i.e. tending to proceed perpendicularly to the shoreline.
  • the commotion which grows with the wave length and height, remains substantial even along the coast since, although waves become shorter, they also become steeper with a gain in height which at least in part counterbalances the loss due to the shortening of the waves.
  • An object of this invention is to provide a novel power generating system utilizing the wave motion of sea or lakes, which can exploit the mechanical energy supplied by the commotion created by waves and/or tides to pressurize a fluid medium.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a power generating system which is reliable in operation, pollution-free, and economical construction-wise.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient system . which affords the possibility of storing energy that can be subsequently supplied on demand.
  • Another object of this invention is to provide a power generating system that can be either shore- based or offshore-based, in order to best utilize the local characteristics of the environment in which it is to be operated.
  • a power generating system utilizing the wave motion of sea or lakes, comprising a buoyant member designed to follow the water surface movements, restraining means arranged to govern the buoyant member, and at least one pumping apparatus arranged to be operated by the said buoyant member or its restraining means and suitable for pumping a working fluid medium in a storage tank.
  • FIG. 1 With reference to Figure 1, there is shown a system suitable for installation along beachy coasts where the sea or lake bottom is flat and slopes gently away from the shoreline.
  • This system comprises two or more raised supports or runways 1 which extend parallel to one another and are arranged to lay substantially perpendicular to the sea or lake waves, that is normal to the shoreline.
  • the supports 1, moreover, are arranged to form parallel inclines and provided, at their upper sides, with bores 2 wherethrough there extend.
  • rods 3 of piston pumps 4 having respective cylinders or barrels 5 whose axes extend transversally e.g. perpendicularly to the longitudinal axes of the supports 1.
  • Each barrel 5 has at the bottom an opening or port 6 equipped with an inlet valve 7 and an outlet opening or port 8 with a respective check valve 9.
  • the piston of each pump 4 is biased by a spring 10, and its reciprocation in the barrel 5 causes a fluid to be taken in through the opening 6 and discharged under pressure through the opening 8.
  • a large-size cylindrical container 11 is allowed to roll which may be of either metal or ferrocement construc - tion.
  • the cylinder 11 has annular recesses or grooves 12 whose cross-sectional configuration matches that of the supports 1.
  • the container 11 may be variously ballasted, e.g. by pumping water thereinto through pumping devices generally indicated at 13 in Figure 1.
  • the combined effects of the wave impact and ebb and flow cause the container 11 to roll backwards and forwards over the supports 1, thereby the container will impart by its own weight a pumping movement to each piston pump 4.
  • the piston units pumps 4 in the supports 1 are arranged at offset locations from one support 1 to the next, such that -the container 11 can always engage one of said units regardless of its position along the supports 1.
  • a suitable system may be provided for supplying pressurized fluid to the barrels 5 in order to move the pistons back to their raised or top position after they have been depressed by the container 11 moving past them.
  • each support 1 serves as a bearing and guiding element for the container 11.
  • FIG. 2 shows a reinforced concrete structure, generally indicated at 14, which comprises four towers 15 which, from a foundation 16 on the sea or lake bottom, are raised above the'water level and -enclose in a sort of cage a large container 17 which can be ballasted and is enabled to slide vertically along the towers 15 through guiding elements, such as rollers 18.
  • the towers 14 carry at the top a platform 19, which may duplicate as a helicopter landing stage or otherwise. Between the platform 19 and the container 17, there is mounted one or more cylinder/ piston pumping units, generally indicated at 20, each of which may have, for example, its cylinder portion connected to the platform 19 and its piston portion secured to the container 17. As the level of the water surface varies, such as due to the wave motion or tides, the container 17 will perform up and down movements which are converted into pumping action by the cylinder/piston unit(s) 20.
  • Figure 3 shows an annular container of substantially ellipsoidal configuration, which comprises, of preference, two arched halves hingedly connected together, such as at 22 and 23.
  • the container 21 is arranged to float in the water about a central tower 24 which stands on a foundation 25 placed at the bottom of the sea or lake.
  • a respective pumping unit 25 and 26 is provided which comprises preferably a cylinder and piston arrangement.
  • the wave motion of the surface of the sea or lake is converted here into corresponding movements of the container 21 to and from the tower 24, which movements are transmitted to the pumping units 25 and 26.
  • Figure 4 illustrates a system wherein a container 27 which can be ballasted and has a substantially tetrahedric configuration, has one corner edge hinged as at 28 to the sea or lake bed. At its inshore side, the container 27 is connected to one or more pumping systems generally indicated at 29, which preferably comprise a multiplicity of cylinder/piston pumping units.
  • the container 27 As the surface level of the sea or lake where the container 27 is installed varies, owing to wave motion, tides, or other causes, the container 27 is recurrently tossed toward the shore, thus imparting a pumping movement to the units 29.
  • Figure 5 shows a system, wherein a container 30 is provided, on the inshore side thereof, with an extension or tailpiece 31 adapted to move in and out of a tunnel section 32, inside which a guiding means is provided in the form of rollers 33.
  • This embodiment of the inventive system is especially useful in areas affected by considerable differences in the level of the water surface, as due to tides, currents, or heavy seas raised by the wind.
  • the container 30, as a result of the movements of the water where it is arranged to float, is urged to rhythmically move into and out of the tunnel 32, thereby it actuates pumping units 34 which are operative to pressurize a fluid medium in a storage tank (not shown).
  • Figures 6 and 7 show an embodiment wherein a container 35 is caused to drive, through a beam 36, one or more pumping units 37 lever-fashion, the beam 36 being pivoted, preferably through a swivel joint, to a supporting tower, generally indicated at 36a.
  • the beam 36 operates as a lever of the first order
  • the beam 36 is secured with .its free end to the shore, thereby it behaves as a lever of the second order.
  • the movements imparted to the container 35 are converted into a reciprocating movement of a piston 38 within the pumping unit 37.
  • FIG 9 illustrates a ballast loadable container 39 in the form of a floating platform.
  • the platform 39 is anchored at a plurality of locations to the sea bottom by means of cables 40 : which, as shown in Figure 9, are effective to actuate the piston rod of a piston pump 41 accommodated inside a barrel 42 which is equipped with inlet and outlet check valves (not shown), the cylinder 42 being placed inside a respective platform anchoring block 43.
  • the piston pumps 4 ( Figure 1), the pumping unit 20 ( Figure 2), pumping units 25, 26 ( Figure 3) are connected to a fluid medium supply system and to a tank for storing the fluid pumped and/or pressurized by the various pumping units.
  • Such supply systems are not shown in the drawings.
  • the fluid medium as stored and/or compressed in a suitable storage tank (not shown) in the manner described above, can be utilized to drive turbines to generate, for instance, electric power.
  • Suitable systems may also be provided to cool the fluid being compressed when the pumping rate is a high one, as well as devices for controlling the cooling of the fluid during its delivery to the storage tank.
  • a buoyant container such as the one indicated at 39 ( Figure 8), instead of being anchored with cables 40, may be provided with telescoping legs adapted .to also function as pumping units.

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  • 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)
EP81101874A 1980-03-24 1981-03-13 Die Wasserwellenbewegung ausnützende Energie-Erzeugungsvorrichtung Withdrawn EP0036586A3 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT8492280 1980-03-24
IT84922/80A IT1141828B (it) 1980-03-24 1980-03-24 Impianto per produrre energia sfruttando il moto ondoso dell'acqua del mare o dei laghi

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0036586A2 true EP0036586A2 (de) 1981-09-30
EP0036586A3 EP0036586A3 (de) 1981-10-07

Family

ID=11325807

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP81101874A Withdrawn EP0036586A3 (de) 1980-03-24 1981-03-13 Die Wasserwellenbewegung ausnützende Energie-Erzeugungsvorrichtung

Country Status (2)

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EP (1) EP0036586A3 (de)
IT (1) IT1141828B (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4531063A (en) * 1981-08-18 1985-07-23 Tecnomare Spa System for recovering wave energy and its conversion into useful energy

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1407885A (en) * 1921-03-21 1922-02-28 David R Olmsted Wave motor
US3487228A (en) * 1967-04-17 1969-12-30 Bernard Kriegel Power generating system
US3664125A (en) * 1970-03-30 1972-05-23 Edward A Strange Offshore power conversion apparatus
DE2629246A1 (de) * 1975-01-07 1978-01-05 Martin Gunnar Loewgren Vorrichtung zur erzeugung von energie durch ausnuetzung der bewegungen von wasserwellen
FR2384961A1 (fr) * 1977-03-22 1978-10-20 Budal Kjell Appareil pour convertir l'energie de la houle
EP0001730A1 (de) * 1977-10-14 1979-05-02 Gabriel Ferone Anlage zur Ausnützung der Meeresenergie
DE2907422A1 (de) * 1979-02-26 1980-08-28 Werner Pelzel Einrichtung zur energiegewinnung

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1407885A (en) * 1921-03-21 1922-02-28 David R Olmsted Wave motor
US3487228A (en) * 1967-04-17 1969-12-30 Bernard Kriegel Power generating system
US3664125A (en) * 1970-03-30 1972-05-23 Edward A Strange Offshore power conversion apparatus
DE2629246A1 (de) * 1975-01-07 1978-01-05 Martin Gunnar Loewgren Vorrichtung zur erzeugung von energie durch ausnuetzung der bewegungen von wasserwellen
FR2384961A1 (fr) * 1977-03-22 1978-10-20 Budal Kjell Appareil pour convertir l'energie de la houle
EP0001730A1 (de) * 1977-10-14 1979-05-02 Gabriel Ferone Anlage zur Ausnützung der Meeresenergie
DE2907422A1 (de) * 1979-02-26 1980-08-28 Werner Pelzel Einrichtung zur energiegewinnung

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4531063A (en) * 1981-08-18 1985-07-23 Tecnomare Spa System for recovering wave energy and its conversion into useful energy

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IT1141828B (it) 1986-10-08
EP0036586A3 (de) 1981-10-07
IT8084922A0 (it) 1980-03-24

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