Self-charging autonomous submersible vessel
AssigneeLone Gull Holdings, Ltd.
InventorsGarth Alexander Sheldon-Coulson, Brian Lee Moffat, Daniel William Place, Ivar Lee Thorson
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Abstract
Disclosed is an autonomous vessel comprising a hydrodynamic pump that converts the energy of ocean waves into electrical power when the vessel is floating adjacent to an upper surface of an ocean, and utilizes a portion of the generated electrical power produced to charge an electrical energy storage device. The vessel may submerge itself, and then propel itself beneath the water's surface, after which it may return to the surface and resume its production of electrical energy and recharge its electrical energy storage device.
Claims28
An autonomous wave-energy-powered vessel, comprising:
- a chamber configured to contain a quantity of air and water having a pressure of more than one atmosphere;
- a water tube having an open first end outside of the chamber, and an open second end inside of the chamber, and further having a reduced inner cross-sectional area adjacent the second end;
- an air management system configured at a first opening in the chamber for controlling a quantity of air within the chamber;
- a water management system configured at a second opening in the chamber for controlling a quantity of water in the chamber;
- an energy recovery system for converting and storing electrical energy from water exiting the chamber;
- a plurality of thrust generators mounted to the vessel and configured to move at least a portion of the vessel in water;
- a first control system cooperating with the plurality of thrust generators to establish a position and an orientation of the vessel;
- and
- a second control system for operating the air management system and water management system to establish a preferred buoyancy of the vessel.
A submersible repositionable wave engine, comprising:
- a buoy configured to rise and fall under an influence of a body of water;
- a hollow tube depending from the buoy and having a water ingress/egress mouth at a lower end and a water discharge spout at an upper end, and further comprising an interior including a wall defining a water accelerating surface adapted to eject water through the water discharge spout in response to an increasing hydrodynamic pressure within the interior of the hollow tube;
- a water collection reservoir in fluid communication with the water discharge spout;
- an air pocket compartment in fluid communication with the water collection reservoir;
- a first effluent pipe extending from the water collection reservoir to the body of water for diverting at least a portion of water collected in the water collection reservoir to the body of water;
- a first electrical energy generator for converting an energy of a portion of water in the first effluent pipe into electrical energy;
- an air release valve for releasing air from the air pocket compartment;
- a submergence control system configured to open the air release valve;
- a thruster for adjusting an underwater position of the submersible wave engine;
- a battery adapted to actuate the thruster;
- wherein the first electrical energy generator is configured to charge the battery when the submersible repositionable wage engine rises and falls under the influence of waves;
- and
- wherein the submersible repositionable wave engine is adapted to submerge underwater when air is released from the air pocket compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.