Classifications

• • 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
  • F03B13/14—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 using wave energy
  • F03B13/16—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 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"
  • F03B13/18—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 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
  • F03B13/188—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 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 is flexible or deformable
• • Y—GENERAL 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
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/30—Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method of utilizing the energy in the surface waves in a body of liquid, such as the waves on the surface of an ocean, said method being of the kind in which the wave movements are utilized to move one or more elongated flexible tubes which are divided into a number of sections by means of fluid-tight transverse walls with non-return valves therein adapted to open in the same direction.
• the wave movements induce a potential and/or kinetic energy in a liquid - normally the same as in the surrounding body of liquid - flowing through the tube or tubes, and this energy may be transferred to one or a number of energy transforming units, such as turbines or the like.
• a first chamber or air chamber which is closed on all sides and adapted to contain a gas or a gas mixture, such as air, and
• buoyancy means such as the surface float disclosed in the above-mentioned GB-PS No. 2,024,957
• this gas, gas mixture or air will act as a pressure accumulator accumulating pressure energy during movements downwards into the trough of the waves, releasing this energy during movement, upwards to the crest of the waves by forcing some of the liquid from the second chamber or water chamber in the section concerned through the downstream non-return valve into the second chamber or water chamber in the succeeding section, regardless of whether the chambers or sections are elastically resilient as in the known tubes mentioned above or not.
• the method according to the invention is preferably carried out by using tubes, in which each first chamber or air chamber extends from one transverse wall to the next.
• the gas, gas mixture or air contained in the first chamber or air chamber will contribute to keeping the tube or tubes distended, for whiqh reason it or they may be made from thin-walled - and hence comparatively cheap - material, such as plastic foil.
• the present invention also relates to equipment for car rying out the method according to the invention and being of the kind comprising one or more elongated flexible tubes, which are divided into a number of sections by means of fluid-tight transverse walls with non-return valves therein adapted to open in the same direction.
• this equipment is characterized in that each section is divided into two chambers by means of a flexible fluid-tight membrane, viz.
• a first chamber or air chamber which is closed on all sides and adapted to contain a gas or a gas mixture, such as air, and
• a preferred embodiment of this equipment is characterized in that each flexible chamber extends from one transverse wall to the next.
• the gas, gas mixture or air contained in the first chamber or air chamber will contribute to keeping the tube or tubes distended, for which reason it or they may be made from thin-walled material, such as plastic foil, which is comparatively cheap and easy to work with.
• the equipment according to the invention may, of course, be constructed in many different ways, provided that the conditions set forth above are met with a view to producing the desired effect. It is, however, thought that considerable savings could be effected by letting the elongated tube or tubes consist of a) channel-shaped upper and. lower parts assembled along outwardly extending and e.g. fibre-reinforced lateral flanges and having stiffening means in the circuitifer ential direction, e.g.
• transverse walls carrying valve flaps said transverse walls being secured in a fluid-tight manner to the upper part, possibly also to the lower part, in the space delimited by these components and with a longitudinal spacing corresponding to the length of the first and second chambers, and c) a number of flexible membranes, the longitudinally extending sides of which are secured between the lat eral flanges of the upper and lower part, and the trans versally extending sides of which are secured in a fluid-tight manner to the transverse walls, whereas d) the lateral flanges of the upper and lower part are secured in a fluid-tight manner to each other and to the longitudinal edges of the membranes, preferably by that the lateral flanges with the longitudinal edges of the membranes placed between them and the possible longitudinal fibre reinforcing are stacked and joined in a fluid-tight manner
• nonreturn valves open in the direction of propagation of the waves or in the opposite direction.
• return-flow tubes to connect the ends of the flexible tubes most distant from the energy transforming equipment to this equipment, for which reason it is preferred to place one or a number of tubes on the surface of the liquid (water) in the form of one or more loops, the ends of which are placed close to each other and connected to the energy transforming equipment, such as a turbine.
• These loops may have any shape desired, such as a ring shape or a hairpin shape, and may be placed in such a manner relative to each other, that they intersect or cross each other partly or fully.
• Figure 1 is a sketch illustrating the principle of the invention being a longitudinal sectional view of a piece of an elongated flexible tube constituting part of an equipment according to the invention and floating on an ocean surface with waves
• Figure 2 is an example, showing how the elongated flexible tube may be constructed in practice
• Figure 3 is a sketch illustrating a process contemplated for the manufacture of the tube illustrated in Figure 2.
• the elongated tube according to the invention is shown in Figure 1 as a flexible tube with an outer wall 2.
• the space inside the tube is divided into sections , that can be imagined as designated a, b, c, ...., k, each section being separated from the neighbouring section by means of a transverse wall, the wall between sections a and b being designated as 3 ab, between sections b and c as 3bc and so forth.
• a transverse wall 3ab,3bc, etc. there is an opening with a valve flap 4ab, 4bc, etc. respectively.
• all the valve flaps 4ab-jk are adapted to open for liquid flow from left to right in the drawing and to close for liquid flow in the opposite direction.
• the reference number 5 indicates the air above the surface of the ocean, and the reference number 6 indicates the water below said surface.
• the flexible tube 2 floats on the surface of the ocean, following the wave movements as indicated on the drawing.
• Each section of the tube 2 between two consecutive transverse walls 3a, 3bc, etc. is divided into two chambers,viz. firstly a water chamber 8a, 8b, etc. connected to the neighbouring water chambers at the ends through the non-return valves consti tuted by the openings in the transverse walls 3ab, 3bc, etc.
• a pressure-accumulating air chamber 7a, 7b, etc. which is closed in relation to the surroundings, and which in the embodiment shown is separated from the water or liquid chamber 8a, 8b, etc. by means of a slack, flexible and liquid-tight membrane 9.
• the air in the air chamber 7j, 7h and 7g respectively will be compressed due to the liquid pressure increasing with increasing depth, and - as indicated in the Figure - the compression of the air chambers will increase with increasing depth.
• the air chamber 7g exhibits the smallest volume and will retain this volume when the waves have progressed to the extent that this air chamber occupies the position corresponding to the air chamber 7f, since the non-return valve 4ef also is closed due to the pressure from the overlying liquid in the water chamber 8e and the air pressure from the associated air chamber 7e.
• the situation for the next sections c, b and a in succession generally corresponds to the situation for the sections k, j and h already mentioned, i.e. that the liquid in the water chambers 8c, 8b and 8a to a certain extent can flow through the non-return valves 4bc, 4ab and the next, un-referenced non-return valve in a similar manner to what has been described with reference to the sections k, j and h.
• a corresponding pumping effect will also occur if the waves progress in the opposite direction, since what is essential for the pumping effect is the up-and-down move ment of each particular section of the flexible tube 2.
• FIG. 2 shows an example of how the elongated flexible tube could be constructed in practice.
• the tube shown is shaped as a ribbed tube 10 with two horizontal lateral fins 11 extending horizontally from each side of the tube.
• the lateral fins 11 serve partly to strengthen the tube against lateral flexure, partly to contribute to the transmission of the wave movement to the tube.
• the tube 10 comprises stiffening ribs 12 extending in the peripheral direction and strengthening the tube against expansion and contraction, but without reducing its flexibility.
• the tube is divided into sections by means of oblique transverse walls 13, which also serve as valve seats for the valve flaps 4.
• the membranes 9 separating the air chambers 7 from the water chambers 8 may, as indicated, be shaped like a bag or sac.
• Figure 3 indicates how a tube of the kind shown in Figure 2 may be manufactured.
• the tube consists of an upper part 14 and a lower part 15.
• the upper part 14 is shaped like an inverted channel and comprising lateral flanges 11' extending laterally from both lateral edges.
• the lower part 15 is shaped like a channel with lateral flanges 11" at both lateral edges.
• the combined transverse wall and valve seat 13 and the associated valve flap 4 exhibit single curvature in the same direction, and may be manufactured such as by moulding in plastic or artificial rubber.
• the components shown in Figure 3 may be assembled by first cementing the transverse wall 13 together with the valve flap 4 in an oblique position in the upper part 14, after which the membranes 9 are placed against the lower faces of the lateral flanges 11' . Then, the lower part 15 is placed with its lateral flanges 11" against the lower face of those parts of the membrane 9, the upper face of which engages the lower faces of the lateral flanges 11' of the upper part 14, after which these three components are joined, such as by welding.
• the transverse wall 13 may be omitted and the upper part of the valve flap 4 used as a transverse wall, while letting the lower part of the valve flap 4 close against the lower part 15 of the tube.
• the width of the membranes 9 should be sufficiently greater than the width of the upper and lower part as measured across the lateral fins or flanges to enable the membranes 9 to hang in a relatively slack or loose manner between the air chambers 7 and the liquid chamber 8 , as otherwise the membranes would partly be subjected to a heavy strain by the pressure of the water, partly counteract the compression of the air in the air chambers.
• the elongated flexible tubes be connected to the energy transforming equipment, such as turbines, in one or more closed liquid circuits, the liquid containing additives, such as means for a) reducing hydraulic flow losses, b) reducing corrosion, c) preventing internal growth, such as with algae and/or bacteria, d) lowering the freezing point, and/or e) signalling leaks, such as in the form of non-toxic colouring agent, fluorescent agent or a reagent reacting with sea water by producing such an agent.
• the energy transforming equipment such as turbines
• the liquid containing additives such as means for a) reducing hydraulic flow losses, b) reducing corrosion, c) preventing internal growth, such as with algae and/or bacteria, d) lowering the freezing point, and/or e) signalling leaks, such as in the form of non-toxic colouring agent, fluorescent agent or a reagent reacting with sea water by producing such an agent.

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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)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8123318

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (16)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (6)

• 1982
  • 1982-08-03 DK DK347582A patent/DK148925C/da not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1983
  • 1983-08-01 NL NL8320232A patent/NL8320232A/nl unknown
  • 1983-08-01 JP JP58502591A patent/JPS59501374A/ja active Pending
  • 1983-08-01 GB GB08407200A patent/GB2133477A/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1983-08-01 AU AU18249/83A patent/AU1824983A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1983-08-01 EP EP83902524A patent/EP0115511A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1983-08-01 WO PCT/DK1983/000074 patent/WO1984000583A1/en unknown
• 1984
  • 1984-04-03 NO NO841311A patent/NO841311L/no unknown

Patent Citations (6)

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