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US 11,846,264 B2Granted
Self powered computing buoy
AssigneeLone Gull Holdings, Ltd.
InventorsGarth Alexander Sheldon-Coulson, Brian Lee Moffat
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computing apparatus that is integrated within a flotation module, the system obtaining the energy required to power its computing operations from waves that travel across the surface of a body of water on which the flotation module sets. Additionally, the self-powered computing apparatus employs novel designs to utilize its close proximity to the body of water and/or to strong ocean winds to significantly lower the cost and complexity of cooling their computing circuits.
Claims34
A single-body fluidic computational task processing apparatus, comprising:
- a buoyant vessel having an upper deck surface,
- a fluid conduit having a lower tubular portion fixedly positioned beneath the upper deck surface and a constricting section with a cross-sectional area that decreases in a direction away from a lower aperture and toward the upper deck surface;
- a fluid turbine,
- a power-take-off,
- a plurality of computers fixedly positioned relative to the fluid conduit,
- and a first propulsive system;
- said fluid conduit having a lower aperture at a distal end of the lower tubular portion of the fluid conduit through which water may flow into and out of the fluid conduit;
- said lower tubular portion adapted to have a submerged and approximately vertical orientation when the buoyant vessel floats adjacent to an upper surface of a body of water;
- said fluid turbine configured to rotate in response to fluid flowing in the fluid conduit;
- said power-take-off being operatively connected to the fluid turbine such that the power-take-off is configured to produce electrical power in response to rotation of the fluid turbine;
- said plurality of computers configured to be energized by electrical power from the power-take-off;
- said plurality of computers configured to execute computational tasks specified by encoded signals received by the apparatus;
- said plurality of computers configured to produce computational results by the execution of computational tasks specified by encoded signals received by the apparatus;
- and
- said propulsive system configured to move the apparatus across the surface of the body of water;
- wherein the apparatus is configured to receive, via encoded signals, computational tasks from a remote transmission antenna;
- and
- wherein the apparatus is configured to transmit, via encoded signals, computational results to a remote receiving antenna.
15 more elements
A fluidic computational task processing system, comprising:
- a mobile fluidic task-processing float having an upper deck surface, a fluid conduit, a fluid turbine, a power-take-off assembly, a plurality of computers, a local data reception antenna, a local data transmission antenna, and a first propulsive system,
- said mobile fluidic task-processing float configured to drift buoyantly on a surface of water;
- said fluid conduit including first and second openings adapted to allow fluid to flow between an exterior of the mobile fluidic task-processing float and an interior of the fluid conduit;
- said fluid conduit further including a lower hollow tubular portion disposed below the upper deck surface;
- said fluid turbine positioned in the fluid conduit and configured to rotate in response to fluid flow in the fluid conduit;
- said power-take-off assembly adapted to generate electricity in response to rotation of the fluid turbine to energize the plurality of computers;
- said local data reception antenna adapted to receive encoded input data and relay received input data to the plurality of computers;
- said plurality of computers adapted to process received input data and relay output data derived from received input data to the local data transmission antenna;
- and
- said local data transmission antenna adapted to transmit encoded output data;
- wherein the mobile fluidic task-processing float is adapted to generate fluid flow in the fluid conduit and energize the plurality of computers when oscillating in a body of water traversed by waves.
8 more elements
A single-body fluidic computational task processing apparatus, comprising:
- a fluid conduit having upper and lower sections;
- a hydrodynamic lifting hull fixedly attached to the fluid conduit, and surrounding an upper portion of the fluid conduit and from which depends a lower portion of the fluid conduit;
- a power-take-off fixedly positioned relative to the hydrodynamic lifting hull;
- a fluid turbine rotatably attached to the hydrodynamic lifting hull, and operably connected to the power take off;
- a plurality of computers fixedly attached to the hydrodynamic lifting hull;
- and a first propulsive system fixedly positioned relative to the hydrodynamic lifting hull;
- said hydrodynamic lifting hull adapted to float adjacent to an upper surface of a body of water over which waves pass;
- said lower portion of the fluid conduit having a tubular portion adapted to be submerged and having an approximately vertical orientation when the apparatus floats adjacent to the upper surface of the body of water;
- said lower portion of the fluid conduit further having an aperture through which water may flow into and out of the fluid conduit;
- said fluid conduit further having a constricting section whose cross-sectional area decreases with respect to fluid flowing in the fluid conduit in a direction away from the aperture and toward the upper portion of the fluid conduit;
- said fluid turbine configured to rotate in response to fluid flowing in the fluid conduit;
- said power-take-off configured to produce electrical power in response to rotation of the fluid turbine;
- said plurality of computers configured to be energized by electrical power produced by the power-take-off;
- said plurality of computers configured to execute computational tasks specified by encoded signals received by the apparatus;
- said plurality of computers configured to produce computational results by the execution of computational tasks specified by encoded signals received by the apparatus;
- and
- said propulsive system configured to move the hydrodynamic lifting hull across the surface of the body of water.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.