GB2620781A - Tidal / wind energy recovery and storage - Google Patents

Abstract

Electricity generation apparatus combining a source of power generation from wind power 30 and a source of power generation from sea movement 40, where the apparatus comprises means, shared by the sources, for gathering, storing and/or distributing power from the apparatus to a power grid. The apparatus may comprise a central pillar or stanchion anchored to the seabed at a lower end, anchored at an upper end to the source of power generation from wind power and in a portion between the ends anchored to the power generation from sea movement element. Preferably, the power generation from sea movement element is a floating platform surrounding the stanchion that is capable of moving up and down the stanchion in response to sea movement. The power generation from sea movement element may be tethered to the stanchion by cables configured to deliver mechanical energy from sea movement to a generator.

Description

Tidal / Wind Energy Recovery and Storage

Background

In recent years there has been an effort to find alternatives to fossil fuels for generating power, due to the limited supply and environmental harm these fuels cause. This has led to the development of different technologies that seek to generate power from renewable energy sources.

In the more commonly used renewable energy systems, such as solar panels and wind turbines, there is sometimes an issue with reliability. This issue is caused due to these systems' dependencies on certain conditions to generate power. Specifically, solar panels, wind turbines, and wave generators are often dependent on the weather, losing most of their power production during adverse weather, for example when there is a lack of sun for the solar panels or a lack of wind to turn the wind turbine, thereby making the output of such systems unpredictable, and therefore unreliable.

An alternative to these systems is to use wave power, however, even though wave power is more predictable than solar or wind power, there are other problems. For one there are limited places where this power can be sourced, as the systems need to be implemented on coastlines, which are limited. Additionally, due to the size of the equipment, only a limited number of such systems can be implemented at a time, and it is also likely that multiple wave power systems in one area could start to interfere with each other, as one system may block waves from reaching the other systems. This means there is still a reliability issue, as the limited number of systems will limit the amount of power that can be generated at a given time.

Some other sources of renewable energy such as tidal power may be more predictable but can suffer due to a dependence on time. With this dependency, the output of the system will peak at specific times, which means that the system may not be able to produce sufficient power during times of high demand. Once again making the system unreliable as a power source. While another alternative like geothermal energy is limited to specific locations and produces a limited amount of useable power per location. And though it may be possible to use such a system to generate power for their immediate vicinity, such systems are not practical to generate power for an entire country.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved renewable power system that provides a more reliable power generating system. In particular, the system requires a means of controlling the output of the system so that during times of high demand more power can be produced, and ensure that the power source is not dependent upon a factor that may cause severe losses in power production.

Summary

The present invention provides an electricity generation apparatus combining a source of power generation from wind power and a source of power generation from sea movement in a single apparatus, the apparatus comprises means, shared by the sources, for distributing power from the apparatus to a power grid. More specifically, the apparatus comprises a means for generating power from the wind such as a wind turbine, with a means of generating power from the movements of the sea, or other suitable bodies of water, such as wave and tidal power generators. Wherein both of these means of power generation, the wind and wave/tidal mechanisms, output the power they generate into a single power distributor, for example, both mechanisms may be electrically coupled to the same power grid, thereby combining the power generated by both sources. This may be desirable as both the wind and wave power generators are dependent on the weather, while the tidal power generator is dependent on the time/position of the tide, meaning each of the power sources individually may prove to be unreliable, or insufficient in generating enough power to meet the system's demands. Therefore, by combining these power sources into a single system the overall output of the power generators may be improved, as each of the power sources may help to provide additional power when a single source would be insufficient.

In the preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned apparatus, the wind power generator would preferably comprise a central pillar, or stanchion, which may be anchored to the sea bed at its lower end, and have the means of power generation from wind power at an upper end, in most cases this means may take the form of a wind turbine. Then the means for generating power from the waves, or tides of the sea is positioned at a portion of the stanchion between the upper and lower ends. In this way, the apparatus provides a single structure capable of housing the different power-generating mechanisms. Further, as the stanchion is anchored to the sea bed, the user does not require additional means for securing the wave/tidal power generators, for these generators are normally at risk of being moved, or carried away, by the movements of the sea, but by anchoring the stanchion the apparatus effectively anchors the wave/tidal generator coupled to the stanchion, thereby removing the need for additional sea anchoring for the wave/tidal generator.

Further, it is preferable that the wave/tidal power generator comprises a floating structure that may be configured to surround the stanchion, so that the wave/tidal power generator may move up and down the stanchion, allowing the wave/tidal generator to move vertically as the sea level changes, such changes may be caused either by waves or by the fide changing. Further by having the wave/tidal generator surround the stanchion, the wave/tidal generator can accommodate, or capture, water movements in all directions without the stanchion obstructing the flow of the water. Additionally, with this arrangement, when the water level changes the raising and lowering of the wave/tidal generators should not cause any additional wear or stress on the supporting stanchion, as the wave/tidal generator can move freely along the length of the stanchion, instead of being secured to a specific point or portion of the stanchion.

It is noted that when the apparatus is constructed in this manner, existing wind turbines may be used to construct the apparatus. More specifically, wind turbines that are already anchored into the sea or a large body of water may provide the pillar, or stanchion, needed to form this structure, with the floating wave/tidal generator being configured to wrap around the existing turbine structure. Further, the wave/tidal generators used in these cases may be configured to integrate into the wind turbines existing power structure, meaning the wave/tidal generator can be electronically coupled to the existing power grid, power storage and/or power distribution system, thereby removing the need to build additional infrastructure to distribute the power generated by the additional wave/tidal generator features.

It is also noted that the floating platform should preferably be circular once in place around the stanchion. A circular platform would allow the user to evenly distribute the wave/tidal power features used to harvest the power from the sea's movements. Further, the circular platform would be able to capture movements in all directions, with equal efficiency, meaning there is no preference for any particular direction, thereby improving the efficiency of the power transfer from the sea to the apparatus.

Further, when the floating platform is wrapped around the stanchion it is preferable that the inside of the platform, meaning the side that is facing the stanchion, have a protective layer positioned between the platform and the stanchion. This protective layer may be made of rubber or any other suitable material. The purpose of this protective layer is to act as a bumper between the floating platform and the stanchion. This may be required as the floating platform will likely be moved by the movements of the sea, which may result in the platform being pushed towards the stanchion, and impacting the stanchion. Such impact may cause damage to the platform, or the wave/tidal power features contained within, and over time these impacts may also cause wear and damage to the stanchion. Therefore, the bumper is introduced to reduce the force of such impacts as much as possible to reduce the risk of such damage occurring.

In some cases, the wave/tidal generator may be coupled to the stanchion of the wind power generator via one or more cables. Wherein said cables electrically couple the wave/tidal power generator to the stanchion, allowing the power generated by the wave/tidal power generator to be transferred to the stanchion, wherein it may be stored in batteries or distributed to a power grid. In some cases, the cables may be coupled to a generator, so that the floating mechanism can be used to transfer power from both wave and tidal movement, transferring the energy captured by each type of sea movement to a single generator, which can then transfer the collected power to be stored or distributed. It is noted that in these cases, the mechanisms used for generating power from sea movements would comprise features for capturing wave movements, and for capturing tidal movements, with each of these features being electrically coupled to a common generator via the aforementioned cables.

It is preferable that the generator used to transfer the power generated by the wave and tidal features be stored within the stanchion itself. This way the strong walls of the stanchion may act as a protective casing, or housing for the generator. This can help prevent damage that may be caused to the generator due to the movements of the sea, or the movements of the floating wave/tidal generators, causing impacts to the generator. It may also protect the generator from any weathering or wear, such as rusting caused by exposure to seawater or rain. This may help reduce the amount of maintenance required to maintain the generator over a given period, which in turn may reduce the amount of down-time the wave/tidal generator experiences during its working life span, this is to say that during times of maintenance the wave/tidal generators may need to be shut down while the maintenance takes place, so by reducing the need for maintaining the system, in turn, reduces the amount of downtime required.

It is noted that in the cases where the generator is housed within the stanchion, the wind power generator may also be configured to transfer its power to the stored generator. That is to say, the feature that uses wind power to generate power, such as a wind turbine, would be coupled to the same generator as the wave/tidal power generating features. This way the apparatus removes the need to have separate generators for each feature (the wind power feature and the wave/tidal power feature), which may help to simplify the electrical infrastructure needed to operate the apparatus, and may also help to improve the efficiency of the apparatus as all of the power generating features are used to power the same generator.

In the preferred embodiment, the cables coupling the wave/tidal generator would be configured to produce power as the cables are moved by the movements of the wave/tidal power features. Moreover, in these cases it is preferable that the apparatus comprises a plurality of cables that couple the wave/tidal feature to the stanchion, and that said cables be at an angle relative to each other, specifically the cables should be non-parallel, this way the cables will be able to capture energy from movements from a wider range of angles. More preferable at least two of the cables should be perpendicular, as a pair of perpendicular cables should be able to capture movement in any direction, and by having multiple perpendicular cables the apparatus can maximise the amount of power generated by the wave/tidal power features.

in some embodiments the power from the wind, tidal and/or wave generator may be used to actuate the cables attaching the wave/tidal power generator to the stanchion, to adjust the position of the floating platform containing the wave/tidal power features. Specifically, power generated by the wind power feature may be used to raise or lower the floating platform. In some cases, this may be used to store excess energy from the wind, tidal and/or wave generator, in the form of potential energy, by lowering the floating platform below the surface of the water. So that at a later time the platform can be released, allowing the buoyancy of the platform to cause the platform to raise, and using this motion of the platform to generate more power through the cables coupled to the stanchion.

In another case, the excess power from the wind, tidal and/or wave generator may be used to raise the floating platform above the water, this way power can be stored as gravitational potential energy which would be transferred to the generator when the platform is released and falls back to the sea. This mechanism may also be used during windy, or stormy weather where the waves are the sea will be larger, as there would be an increased risk of the floating platform being damaged either from the impact of the larger waves or from the wind causing the platform to impact the stanchion. Therefore, during such weather, the platform may be raised using the attached cables to prevent such impacts from occurring In a variant, the gravitational potential energy may be supplemented by pumping water, such as seawater, into the platform to increase its weight and therefore store more energy. This I particularly useful for the raised platform as buoyancy is not required in that state and so the void volume for buoyancy can be used effectively. The energy so stored may be released by lowering the platform, the extending cables actuating a generator, and/or allowing water to exit via generator/pump.

In other embodiments, the platform may comprise features designed to store tidal power which can then be used during times of high demand, this is preferable as the power generated from tidal movements is restricted to specific times, when the tide changes, meaning power may not be available when it is needed. As previously mentioned, power from the apparatus can be stored in batteries for future use. However, another way to store power, specifically tidal power, would be to have a reservoir or water trap within the floating platform. Meaning the floating platform would comprise features that would store water within the platform itself once the tide, or water level, reaches a pre-determined threshold. So, during high tide, the reservoir should fill with water. These reservoirs, or water traps, would then be coupled to a water turbine or similar feature, so that during a time of high demand the water in the reservoir may be released so that the released water turns the water turbine to generate additional power. it is noted that in some embodiments the water turbine may be positioned at the opening of the reservoir so that the turbine is actuated as water enters the reservoir.

In some cases, the reservoirs may comprise one or more channels so that the released water from the reservoir may be directed to the wave power features of the platform to help them generate additional power, this may be preferable as it removes the need for separate power generating features within the reservoir. This may also be used in the scenario described above when the platform has been raised out of the water due to stormy weather with the released water from the reservoir being released and directed to the wave power features, to allow the wave generator to produce power even when the platform is no longer in the water.

Detailed Description

The present invention is illustrated in the following drawings: Figure 1 depicts a simplified model of the claimed invention comprising a stanchion surrounded by a floating platform.

Figure 2 depicts a plan view of the model from figure 1.

Figure 3 depicts a cross-section of the model from figure 1.

Figure 4 depicts the cross-section of the complete structure with example power features, specifically water and wave power features coupled to a generator.

Figure 5 depicts the potential energy-storing feature, where cables/supports are used to raise and lower the platform relative to the stanchion.

The drawings comprise the following features: 10-Stanchion 20-Floating platform 30-Wind power feature -Wave/tidal power feature 50-Generator 60-Cables 70, 72 -Arrows indicating the movement of the floating platform.

The present invention provides a power-generating apparatus which houses elements that generate power from the wind, and elements which can generate power from the movements of the sea. Further, the invention may have the power produced by each of these components be output into a shared system, so that each of the components can contribute to the power generated by the overall structure. This way the maximum power that the structure can produce is increased as both wind, wave and tidal power may be captured simultaneously. Further, by combining these power-generating features the claimed invention may help address the deficiencies that these features face individually. Specifically, the wind and wave power features are reliant on the weather making them unreliable as the output of such systems can be unpredictable. While tidal power is dependent on time, both the time of day and the season, though the movements of the fides are more predictable than the weather, the times at which the output of such a system would peak is not controllable meaning there is no way to increase the power output during times of high demand. Therefore, this combined system can provide a source of renewable energy that is more reliable than its individual parts.

In the combined system there will be a structure set up in the sea or another suitable body of water. Wherein the system comprises a structure that houses at least one feature for generating power from the wind, and at least one feature for generating power from the movements of the body of water, such as the movement of waves, the movements of the tide or both. The feature used to capture the wind may be in the form of one or more wind turbines. Wherein the wind turbines will be mounted onto the top of a platform, such as a pillar or a stanchion, with the lower end of this platform being anchored to the bottom of the body of water. The wave or tidal feature may take the form of a floating platform containing features that are capable of capturing power from wave and/or tidal movements, such as turbines that the water can actuate or a hermetic cap which uses the air pressure changes caused by the movement of the water under the cap to turn a turbine. It is noted that the platform may contain different features one configured to gather energy from the wave movements and another to capture the energy from tidal movements.

Regardless of the power features used the structure will have the means to gather the power from each of the features. Once gathered the power can then be stored within a suitable battery or output into a suitable distribution system, such as a power grid. It is noted that the structure will contain infrastructures, such as wires, cables and generators for the purpose of gathering and transferring the power generated by the wind, wave and tidal power features.

It is noted that this infrastructure may be housed on, or with, the floating platform, the stanchion or both.

Figures 1 to 3 depict different views of a model of the preferred embodiment of this structure. While Figure 4 depicts a cross-section of an example of the full structure with power-generating components. In particular, the model depicts a central stanchion 10, surrounded by a circular floating platform 20. In practice, the stanchion 10 would be anchored to the bottom of the sea, or another suitable large body of water, with one or more wind power, features 30, such as a wind turbine mounted to the top of the stanchion 10. As the higher elevation can increase the amount of wind exposure which in turn can help increase the power output of the system. The stanchion 10 would also be configured to couple the wind power feature 30 to a suitable generator 50 for producing power, and a distribution network, such as a power grid, so that the generated power can be utilized. The wind power feature 30 or stanchion 10 may also contain batteries for storing the power that is generated by the wind power feature 30. To achieve this the wind power feature 30 and stanchion 10 will include suitable wiring and generator(s) 50 to gather and transfer the power. it is noted that many currently used wind turbines positioned in the sea, or lakes, may be used to form the stanchion 10 of the invention. By utilising existing structures, the users can limit the cost and time to produce and install these systems and take advantage of the existing power gathering and distributing systems.

Once the stanchion 10 is in place a floating platform 20 is coupled to the stanchion 10. This platform 20 will house at least one feature 40 for generating power from the movements of the water, such features 40 may be configured to generate power from wave movements, tidal movements or both, such features 40 may include water turbines, like the one depicted in Figure 4, which are turbines that are turned by the moving water, in particular, the waves on the water under the platform 20 though tidal movements may also turn such turbine. The feature 40 may also include hermetic caps configured to produce an airflow as the air pressure in the cap changes with the changing water level within the cap caused by the tides, wherein the airflow is used to turn a turbine. The wave/tidal features 40, much like the wind power feature 30, may be coupled to one or more generators positioned on, or within the platform for generating power from the power features 40, the platform may also include a plurality of batteries for storing the generated power. Regardless of how the platform 20 is configured to generate power, each configuration would then be coupled to the stanchion 10, using wires or cables, so that the systems on the platform 20 are coupled to the same distribution system used by the wind power system, so that the same distribution system can utilise power from both the wind power features 30 and the wave/tidal power features 40.

It is noted that these platforms 20 can take different shapes, such as a linear pier-like structure extending from the stanchion 10, an arch covering a side of the stanchion 10, a square, or another polygon-shaped platform that surrounds the stanchion 20 with wave/tidal power generating features 40 on each side, among others. However, from the possible shapes, a round platform that surrounds the stanchion 10 is the most preferable. This is preferable as the platform 20 would completely surround the stanchion 10, meaning that the wave/tidal power features 40 can capture the movement of the water in any direction, without the stanchion blocking the water. Additionally, the round shape allows the power gathering features 40 to be evenly distributed over the entire surface of the platform 10, again allowing all movements of the water to be captured and ensuring that all directions of movement generate power with the same efficiency. This platform 20 will be coupled to the stanchion 10 by at least one cable. This cable prevents the platform from drifting away from the stanchion 10 and removes the need to anchor the platform to the coast or sea bed, as the platform will be anchored by the stanchion 10. The cable also allows the power generated by the wave/tidal power features 40 of the platform 20 to be transferred to the common power distribution system within the stanchion 10. As the platform of the preferred embodiment wraps around the stanchion 10, it may be preferable to have a plurality of cables so that each side of the platform can be secured and the force exerted onto the stanchion 10 due to the weight of the platform 20 can be evenly distributed onto the surface of the stanchion 10. Additionally, this way the platform 20 may be able to move up and down the stanchion 10 as the water level changes, allowing the wave/tidal power features 40 to function regardless of the current level of the water, which may change over time.

It is noted that in such embodiments where the floating platform 20 wraps around the stanchion 10, it is preferable that the inside face or faces of the platform, these being the sides, or surfaces, of the platform that faces the stanchion 10, be covered in a protective layer or bumper. This protective layer may be made of rubber, foam or any other suitable material. The purpose of this bumper will be to reduce the force of any impacts between the platform 20 and the stanchion 10. This is because the movement of the water may cause the platform 20 to drift into the stanchion 10, which over time could cause wear to the surface of the platform 20 and/or stanchion 10. Additionally, in stormy weather, the increased wind speed could cause the platform 20 to impact the stanchion 10 with more force, which may cause damage to the platform 20, the stanchion 10 or the components they each contain. By including the above-mentioned bumper, the user can reduce the force of such impact protecting both the floating platform 20 and the stanchion 10.

It is noted that in some embodiments the floating platform 20 may be of sufficient size and strength to allow ships to dock onto the platform 20 and allow personnel to walk over the platform 20 to reach the stanchion 10. This can be particularly useful for maintenance as many of these structures may be positioned in the sea or in the centre of a large body of water, it will allow the maintenance workers to dock their ships onto the platform 20, allowing them to reach both the platform 20 and the stanchion 10 more easily in order to make repairs, or to preform route maintenance checks.

It is also noted that it is preferable that the one or more generators 50, for both the wind power, features 30 and the wave/tidal power features 40, should be housed within the stanchion 10. This way the walls of the stanchion 10 may protect the generators 20 from wear due to the seawater, and/or the weather, and can help prevent the platform 10 impacts, especially during high winds, from affecting the generators 50.

Figure 4 depicts an example of how the various power features 30,40 may be coupled to the structure of Figs. 1-3. In the depicted example there is a wind power feature 30, in this case, a wind turbine, coupled to the top of the stanchion 10, and a plurality of wave power features 40, in this case, a plurality of water/wave turbines on the bottom of the platform 20. It is noted that other configurations are possible, for example, the structure may comprise multiple wind power features along the length of the stanchion 10 and there may be additional wave/tidal power features coupled to the platform 20, the base of the stanchion 10, or any part of the stanchion 10 beneath the surface of the water. Regardless of the configuration, each of these power features 40,30 is coupled to a generator 50 in order to convert the captured wind/wave power into usable electricity. In the depicted example the power features are all coupled to a single common generator 50, in some configurations the platform 20 and the stanchion 10 may have separate generators coupled to a common distribution system, or each individual or group of power features 30,40 may have a respective smaller generator that is coupled to a common distribution system. However, it is preferable to have a single common power generator 50, as this helps reduce the complexity of the structure, reduce the cost and materials need to construct the structure and reduce the amount of maintenance that will be required when in operation, though some structures may include a redundant common generator in case there is any fault within the main generator 50. The structure may also include a plurality of batteries to store excess power during times of low demand, said batteries can then be used to provide additional power during times of high demand.

Figure 5 depicts another mechanism that may be used to store additional power for times of high demand. Specifically, the structure may use the floating platform 20 to store potential energy during times of low demand, which can be released in order to produce additional power during times of high demand. The mechanism works by raising or lowering the platform 20 relative to the stanchion 10, as indicated by the arrows 70,72 in Fig.5. The structure may use a plurality of cables 60 that couples the floating platform 20 to the stanchion 10, or an actuating support structure, to alter the height of the platform 20. Wherein during times of low demand, the excess power from the wind power features 30, or the wave/tidal power features 40, may be used to lower the floating platform 20 beneath the surface of the water. Once submerged the platform may still use ocean currents to actuate any wave power features 40, thereby allowing the platform 20 to still generate power. Then when there is a higher demand for power, the structure can release the platform 20, wherein the platform's buoyancy will cause the platform 20 to rise back to the surface of the water. This motion will move the cables 60 attached to the platform 20; the cables 60 may then be used to drive a generator 50 to provide additional power.

Alternatively, or in addition to the mechanism described above the user may choose to raise the platform 20 during times of low demand. Once again excess power is used to move the platform 20 using the cables 60 or a support structure coupling the platform 20 to the stanchion 10. When there is a high demand, the structure can release the platform 20 allowing it to fall back into the water, the falling platform will generate kinetic energy that can be used to turn the generator 50 and provide additional power. it is noted that, unlike the submerging method, the platform 20 may not be able to generate power once it has risen, making this method less preferable. However, this method may be preferable during storms, or high winds. In such conditions, the wind power features 30 will likely generate more power to meet the required demand, but the platform 20 is at risk of being damaged as the high winds generate larger waves, these larger waves may impact and damage the platform 20 and may cause the platform 20 to impact the stanchion 10 causing further damage to the platform and possibly damaging the stanchion 10. Therefore, in these conditions, the platform may be raised to reduce the risk of damage to the platform 20 and stanchion 10, while the wind power features 30 produce sufficient power to meet the demand.

This mechanism of using the kinetic energy of moving cables 60 to generate power can also be utilised to generate power from the movements of the floating platform 20 when it is sitting on the surface of the water. Specifically, in systems where there are one or more cables coupling the floating platform 20 to the stanchion 10, one end of each cable would be coupled to the platform 20 with the other end may be coupled to a generator 50. Wherein the cables 60 are configured so that, as the floating platform 20 rises and falls with the impact of waves, the cables 60 will move with the platform 20 and turn the generator 50 in order to generate power. it is noted that more cables may be preferable in order to capture more of the platform's movements to increase the efficiency of this process. In some cases, the platform 20 may be segmented, so that each segment may move independently of the adjacent segments, in such cases each segment would have at least one respective cable to capture the movements of that specific segment. It is also noted that with the segmented platform the amount of force needed to move the platform may decrease, when comparing the force to move one segment compared to moving the whole platform, thereby making the process of gathering the kinetic energy of the platform more effective, as less energy would be lost trying to move the platform 20. It is also noted that in some cases the cables 60 may be configured so that the generator 50 is coupled to the centre of the cables, and the ends of the cable are coupled to opposite sides of the platform 20. Wherein the movement of the cable 60 in either direction turns the generator 50 to generate power. it is noted that this system may help to reduce the number of cables necessary to capture all movements of the platform 20. It is also noted that when using more than one cable 60 for the platform 20, or platform segments, it is preferable that said cables 60 are at an angle relative to one another, so that the cables are not parallel, for the angled cables will be able to capture a wide range of movements from the platform, preferably at least two of the cables 60 would be perpendicular, as such a pair of cables would be able to capture any direction of movement of the platform 20, or platform segment.

It is also noted that in the cases wherein the floating platform 20 is made of segments, said segments are coupled in a suitable manner so that each segment can rise and fall independently while being coupled to the adjacent segments. These segments can also make constructing and repairing the platform 20 simpler, as each segment can be transported and connected to the stanchion 10 individually, and when repairs are necessary the faulty or damaged segment can be decoupled from the platform 20 and replaced without the need to move, or deactivate the entire platform 20, thereby reducing, if not completely removing, the need for down-time while the platform 20 is repaired.

In some embodiments, the floating platform 20 may further comprise a water trap or reservoir to allow water to be stored within the platform. Specifically, the floating platform 20 would be configured to start storing water within the reservoir when the fide, or water level, raises above a predetermined threshold. The reservoir may then include a power generating feature such as a water turbine so that during times of high demand the water can be released from the reservoir so that the water would power the power generating feature.

These power-generating features may be positioned so that they are also actuated by water entering the reservoir in order to generate more power overall. In some cases, the released water may be directed towards the wave power features 40 of the platform 20, so that the water actuates these features 40 to generate additional power, thereby removing the need for separate power generating features within the reservoir. In the cases where the platform is segmented, each segment may have a respective reservoir, instead of a shared reservoir to reduce the risk of water being lost when segments are disconnected.

It is also noted that when the apparatus is configured to raise the platform 20, either to store potential energy during times of low demand or to protect the platform during stormy weather, it may be preferable to have one or more channels that will direct the water released from the reservoir towards the wave power features 40 coupled to the platform 20.

Because while the platform is raised out of the water it will not be able to generate power, however in these scenarios the water from the reservoir may be used to actuate the wave power features 40 instead, so the platform 20 can still generate some power. This may not be necessary during times of low demand, where the wind power features 30 are sufficient on their own. But if the power demand raises beyond what the wind power feature 30 can supply, this method may be used to provide additional power, especially during stormy weather as the user would not want to release the platform 20 in such conditions.

By utilising the above-mentioned features, the invention provides and structure and apparatus that can utilise multiple sources of renewable energy simultaneously. Thereby providing a more reliable source of renewable energy. Additionally, the disclosed structure may be implemented into existing infrastructures, such as currently used wind turbines, thereby reducing the manufacturing and installation time required to set up the system, while helping to improve the efficiency of these existing structures.

Claims (18)

1. Claims 1. An electricity generation apparatus combining a source of power generation from wind power (30) and a source of power generation from sea movement (40), the apparatus comprising means, shared by the sources, for distributing power from the apparatus to a power grid.
2. 2 The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a central stanchion (10) anchored to the sea bed at a lower end and at an upper end the source of power generation from wind power means (30) and in a portion between the ends the power generation from sea movement means (40).
3. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the power generation from sea movement means (40) is a floating platform structure (20) surrounding the stanchion (10) and capable of moving up and down the stanchion (10) in response to sea movement.
4. 4 The apparatus of any preceding claim in which the power generation from sea movement means (40) is tethered to the stanchion (10) by means of one or more cables (60) configured to deliver mechanical energy from sea movement to a generator (50).
5. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which the generator (50) is located in or on the stanchion (10)
6. 6 The apparatus of claims 4 or 5 in which the generator (50) is operable by either the source of power generation from wind power (30) or by the source of power generation from the sea movements (40) via the one or cables (60).
7. 7. The apparatus of any of claims 4 to 6 wherein there are at least two cables (60) and the cables (60) operate at an angle to one another other than 0 or 180°.
8. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the at least two cables (60) are perpendicular or in combination with further cables is effectively so.
9. 9. The apparatus of any preceding claim in which power from the power generation from wind power means (30) is configured to move the power generation from sea movement means (40) either up or down such as by means of the cables (60) to store gravitational potential energy or buoyancy potential energy in the platform (20).
10. 10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which power from the power generation from wind power means (30) is configured to move the power generation from sea movement means (40) either up, such as to protect the platform (20) from the sea stormy/windy weather.
11. 11. The apparatus of claim 9 or 10 in which power from the power generation from wind power means (30) is configured to move the power generation from sea movement means (40) down, such as to submerge the platform (20) to store power.
12. 12. The apparatus of claims 4 to 11, in which the one or more cables (60) are coupled to the generator (50) in a manner so that the movements of the cables (60) caused by the movements of the floating platform (20) can turn the generator (50) to generate power.
13. 13. The apparatus of claims 3 to 11 wherein the floating platform structure (20) surrounding the stanchion (10) is circular or substantially circular.
14. 14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein an inner face of the platform (20) surrounding the stanchion (10) comprises a cushioning means, such as an inflated rubber liner, to cushion interaction with the stanchion (10).
15. 15. The apparatus of any previous claim wherein the floating platform (20) is made from a plurality of segments.
16. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein each segment of the floating platform (20) is coupled to the stanchion (10) by at least one cable (60).
17. 17. The apparatus of any preceding claim wherein the floating platform (20) comprises protruding features so that the platform is configured to be used as a dock.
18. 18. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the floating platform (20) further comprises one or more reservoirs, wherein the reservoirs are configured to store water when the tide, or water level, around the platform raises above a certain threshold; during times of high demand the water in the reservoir can be released, with the movement of the water being used to actuate the source of power generation from the sea movements (40), or a similar power generating feature such a water turbine, to provide additional power to the generator (50).