GB1588256A - Apparatus for extracting power from waves - Google Patents

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING POWER FROM WAVES (71) I, DESMOND DESMOND- SMrFH, a South African citizen of 18 Mountain View Crescent, "Eversdale Homestead" Sundale Drive, Durbell Estate, Durbanville, Cape Province, Republic of South Africa, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to apparatus suitable for use in converting the energy present in the motion of waves on the sea or on an inland body of water into a useful form of energy.

With the rapid depletion of the world's traditional sources of energy, more particularly fossil fuels, a need arises for energy derived from other sources. Coupled with this is the fact that in certain areas bordering on the sea and inland bodies of water there is a shortage of water for both domestic purposes as well as for purposes of irrigation.

If the energy present in wave systems on the sea and on inland bodies of water could be converted into a useful form of energy, such energy could be employed in pumping sea water ashore for conversion into sweet water and for the generation of hydro-electric power. Such energy could also be used for shifting sea water to desert regions with a view to increasing the atmospheric moisture content of the surrounding arid areas.

An object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus which, it is believed, will be useful for the purpose of converting the energy present in the motion of waves on the sea or on an inland body of water into a useful form of energy.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for use in converting the energy present in the motion of waves into a useful form of energy, the apparatus including a plurality of members which float in a substantially submerged condition, each member including a link structure and the link structures serving to string the floating members together in a line, the members in the line being spaced apart and being free to rise and fall vertically, as well as to tilt, with respect to the adjacent member(s) of the line, the link structure of each floating member being connected to an adjacent float ing member for relative articular movement with respect to the adjacent floating member, and each floating member including pump means, the pump means of each said adjacent floating member being operated by the link structure which is connected thereto on relative articular movement taking place between the link and the particular floating member.

In one form of the invention, the floating members are tubular in shape while, in another form of the invention, the floating members are T-shaped when viewed end-on.

Each link structure may be in the form of a plurality of parallel arms, each of which arms is mounted fixedly at one end to a floating mem ber and projects, at the other end, into the con fines of the adjacent floating member, the arms being mounted for pivotal movement about a shaft extending substantially parallel to a longi tudinal axis of said adjacent floating member.

Further according to the invention, at least one of the arms can project beyond said shaft and be provided with quadrant gears which are connected throuth a gear system and crankshaft arrangement to a piston and cylinder type pump, the arrangement being one in which rela tive pivotal movement between a floating mem ber and an arm connected to it for relative articular movement causes the quadrant gear to operate the pump through the gear system and crankshaft arrangement. Preferably the gear system includes a clutch arrangement.

A common crankshaft may be provided for all the arms connected to a particular floating member.

By way of example only, a preferred form of the invention will now be described with refer ence to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view of a typical installation including apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of part of the apparatus of Figure 1 showing the floating members "riding" the troughs and crests of suc ceeding waves; Figure 3 is a sectional view, on the line III-III of figure 4, of mooring means used in conjunction with the apparatus for mooring the apparatus in position; Figure 4 is a plan view in part showing the mooring means and floating members; Figure 5 is a section through a pump suitable for use in conjunction with the apparatus; Figure 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of figure 7; and Figure 7 is a section on the line VIl-VIl of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a plurality of hollow floating members 1 having a substantially T-shaped configuration when viewed end-on and a substantially rectangular configuration when viewed in plan. These hollow floating members are attached together in a side-by-side parallel relationship by means of a plurality of parallel arms 2 to provide a train which streams off from mooring means 3 formed at the head of such train.

Each arm 2 is fixedly mounted to a floating member 1 and extends across to project into the interior of an adjacent floating member where it is mounted for relative pivotal movement about a hollow shaft 4 that extends down the length of the hollow floating member. This arrangement, therefore, permits relative articular movement between the arms and their associated floating members.

The arms project beyond their respective pivot points for development into a wide-faced quadrant gear 5 which meshes with a spur pinion 6 cast integral with a pair of spur gears 7. These spur pinion and gears are mounted for rotation on a common hollow shaft 8. The spur gears 7 in turn mesh with a further set of spur pinions 9 and spur gears 10 keyed to a further common solid shaft 11. These last mentioned spur gears 10 in turn mesh with two pinionclutch assemblies 12 arranged to rotate a threethrow crankshaft 1 3 wherein its three crank pins 14 are coupled through pushrods 15 to operate pistons in three hydraulic oil cylinders 17.

The arrangement, therefore, permits oscillating movement of the floating members relative to the arms to be converted into rotational movement which in turn is converted into reciprocal movement for driving the piston of the piston and cylinder pump. The result is the conversion of part of the energy present in wave motion into numerous fluid pulsations. The piston and cylinder pumps form part of a closed hydraulic circuit. Oil is drawn in from the circuit into the piston and cylinder ram pumps from which it is displaced in the form of numerous oil pulsations along pressure hoses 18. The pressure hoses from the ram pumps pass down the line of floating members through the arms 2 to join up as a rope passing along a fixed rope 22 to a vertical, cylindrical, hydraulic diaphragm pump 20 of the positive displacement type.Such pump is illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings from which it will be seen that the pump is provided with non-return valves 16. Oil, which is delivered to the pump in the form of numerous oil pulsations, distends the elastomer diaphragm 21 of the pump peristaltically, thus pumping any fluid under pressure through such pump. As it is intended that this pump 20 will be at or below sea level, the elastomer diaphragm 21 is always retracted and hence ready to receive its quota of oil pulsations at any water wave movement.

The train of floating members 1 is moored in position as shown in Figure 1. For this purpose a three-point mooring system is employed whereby a fixed rope 22 is anchored to the top of the moored buoyant mooring means 3 forming the leading buoy of the train of buoys.

The other end of the rope 22 is anchored to a swivel 24 mounted at the top of a tower 23 above a pump house. A continuous rope 26 is fixed at the mid-span of rope 22 to reach above a shore line to a tension tower 25 where the rope passes through a snatch block before being wound a number of times round a horizontally inclined worm-driven drum 28 forming part of a weight tensioned carriage that runs on tracks up an inclined wall of the tower 25. The rope is then returned via a second snatch block to be wound upon and anchored to the larger of free running drums comprising a differential winching drum arrangement 29 housed in the mooring means 3 (see figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.) The smaller drum of the free running differential drum arrangement 29 is driven by means of rope 30 anchored to it.This rope 30 reaches out through fair leads across the water to where it is fixed to a permanent offshore anchorage31, for instance, an anchorage point suitable secured to a submerged rock, to complete the three-point mooring system.

The purpose of the weighted tension carriage running on inclined rail tracks is to keep the mooring ropes in tension so as to locate the train of floating members at right angles to the direction of oncoming waves and to absorb mooring slack due to differences between high and low tide levels.

In operation, therefore, as a wave system passes through underneath the train of floating members 1, it causes the members to rise and drop successively as crests and troughs pass through beneath the floating members. As a result, relative articular movement takes place between the arms 2 and the adjacent floating members 1 causing the quadrant gears 5 to ride in an oscillating manner over the spur pinion 6 thereby to rotate which drives the spur gear 7, which in turn meshes with the spur pinion 9 that drives the shaft 11, which in turn, drives spur gear 10 to cause the pinion clutch assembly 12 to rotate causing the three-throw crankshaft 13 to be driven and the pistons to operate in cylinders 17. As a result, oil pulsations are generated in the high-pressure hose 18 which pulsations are passed to the shore based diaphragm pump 20.Against the operative pressure of such diaphragm pump 20, the pulsations cause the water to be displaced by the pump against pressure to, for instance, a reservoir for further use as envisaged at the beginning of the specification.

In the event of stom, the whole train of buoys can be winched in to moor in the area constructed for this purpose and shown in Figure 1 by the dotted in lines. Here the train is sheltered by the breakwater 32. This operation is achieved by simply manipulating the wormgear on the tension rope drum below the tower so as to rotate the drum in an anticlockwise direction. As a result, the differential drum will automatically take care of the operation tension wise.

The invention, therefore, provides apparatus adapted for use in the conversion of the energy present in the motion of waves on the sea or an inland body of water into a useful form of energy.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus for use in converting the energy present in the motion of waves into a useful form of energy, the apparatus including a plurality of members which float in a substantially submerged condition, each member including a link structure and the link structures serving to string the floating members together in a line, the members in the line being spaced apart and being free to rise and fall vertically, as well as to tilt, with respect to the adjacent member(s) of the line, the link structure of each floating member being connected to an adjacent floating member for relative articular movement with respect to the adjacent floating member, and each floating member including pump means, the pump means of each said adjacent floating member being operated by the link structure which is connected thereto on relative articular movement taking place between the link structure and the particular floating member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the floating members are T-shaped when viewed end-on.

3. The apparatus as claimed in Claims 1 or 2, in which each link structure is in the form of a plurality of parallel arms, each of which arms is mounted fixedly at one end to a floating member and the other end of which projects into the confines of the adjacent floating member, the arms being mounted for pivotal movement about a shaft extending substantially parallel to a longitudinally extending axis of said adjacent floating member.

4. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, in which at least some of the arms project beyond said shaft and are provided with quadrant gears which are connected through a gear system and crankshaft arrangement to a piston and cylindertype pump, the arrangement being one in which relative pivotal movement between a floating member and an arm connected to it for relative articular movment causes the quadrant gear to operate the pump through the gear system and crankshaft arrangement.

5. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, in which the gear system includes a clutch arrangement.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, 4 or 5, in which a common crankshaft is provided for all the arms connected to a particular floating member.

7. Apparatus for use in converting the energy present in the motion of waves into a useful form of energy, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. diaphragm pump 20, the pulsations cause the water to be displaced by the pump against pressure to, for instance, a reservoir for further use as envisaged at the beginning of the specification. In the event of stom, the whole train of buoys can be winched in to moor in the area constructed for this purpose and shown in Figure 1 by the dotted in lines. Here the train is sheltered by the breakwater 32. This operation is achieved by simply manipulating the wormgear on the tension rope drum below the tower so as to rotate the drum in an anticlockwise direction. As a result, the differential drum will automatically take care of the operation tension wise. The invention, therefore, provides apparatus adapted for use in the conversion of the energy present in the motion of waves on the sea or an inland body of water into a useful form of energy. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus for use in converting the energy present in the motion of waves into a useful form of energy, the apparatus including a plurality of members which float in a substantially submerged condition, each member including a link structure and the link structures serving to string the floating members together in a line, the members in the line being spaced apart and being free to rise and fall vertically, as well as to tilt, with respect to the adjacent member(s) of the line, the link structure of each floating member being connected to an adjacent floating member for relative articular movement with respect to the adjacent floating member, and each floating member including pump means, the pump means of each said adjacent floating member being operated by the link structure which is connected thereto on relative articular movement taking place between the link structure and the particular floating member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the floating members are T-shaped when viewed end-on.

3. The apparatus as claimed in Claims 1 or 2, in which each link structure is in the form of a plurality of parallel arms, each of which arms is mounted fixedly at one end to a floating member and the other end of which projects into the confines of the adjacent floating member, the arms being mounted for pivotal movement about a shaft extending substantially parallel to a longitudinally extending axis of said adjacent floating member.

4. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, in which at least some of the arms project beyond said shaft and are provided with quadrant gears which are connected through a gear system and crankshaft arrangement to a piston and cylindertype pump, the arrangement being one in which relative pivotal movement between a floating member and an arm connected to it for relative articular movment causes the quadrant gear to operate the pump through the gear system and crankshaft arrangement.

5. The apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, in which the gear system includes a clutch arrangement.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, 4 or 5, in which a common crankshaft is provided for all the arms connected to a particular floating member.

7. Apparatus for use in converting the energy present in the motion of waves into a useful form of energy, substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.