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US 12,448,943 B2Granted
Two-body flexible tether-connected oscillating water column
AssigneeE-Wave Technologies LLC
InventorsJunhui Lou, Adam Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oscillating water column (OWC) includes a top body and a bottom body. The top body includes a hollow shape, an open top end, an open bottom end, a chamber traversing between the open top and bottom ends, a power take-off system proximate to the open top end, and an air channel proximate to the open top end and the power take-off system. The bottom body includes a bottom heave plate and a plurality of flexible tethers coupling the top body and the bottom body.
Claims14
An oscillating water column (OWC), comprising:
- a top body comprising a hollow cylindrical buoy column shape, the top body further comprising:
- an open top end;
- an open bottom end;
- a chamber traversing between the open top end and the open bottom end, the chamber comprising:
- a conical shaped skirt proximate to the open bottom end, the conical shaped skirt comprising a broader end and a narrower end, wherein the broader end of the conical shaped skirt resides proximate to the open bottom end and the narrower end of the conical shaped skirt resides distal to the open bottom end;
- a portion of the chamber proximate to the open top end;
- and
- a buoyancy volume residing between the conical shaped skirt and the portion of the chamber, wherein the buoyancy volume comprises a narrower water channel than the broader end of the conical shaped skirt and the portion of the chamber;
- a power take-off system proximate to the open top end;
- and
- an air channel proximate to the open top end and the power take-off system;
- a bottom body comprising a bottom heave plate;
- and
- a plurality of flexible tethers coupling the top body and the bottom body.
11 more elements
An oscillating water column (OWC), comprising:
- a top body comprising a hollow cylindrical buoy column shape, the top body further comprising:
- an open top end;
- an open bottom end;
- a chamber traversing between the open top end and the open bottom end, the chamber comprising:
- a conical shaped skirt proximate to the open bottom end, the conical shaped skirt comprising a broader end and a narrower end, wherein the broader end of the conical shaped skirt resides proximate to the open bottom end and the narrower end of the conical shaped skirt resides distal to the open bottom end;
- a portion of the chamber proximate to the open top end;
- and
- a buoyancy volume residing between the conical shaped skirt and the portion of the chamber, wherein the buoyancy volume comprises a narrower water channel than the broader end of the conical shaped skirt and the portion of the chamber;
- a power take-off system proximate to the open top end;
- and
- an air channel proximate to the open top end and the power take-off system;
- a bottom body comprising:
- a bottom heave plate;
- a plurality of openings in the bottom heave plate;
- a plurality of valves proximate to the plurality of openings,
- wherein the plurality of valves moves to a closed position with an upward motion of the bottom body to close the plurality of openings, wherein the plurality of valves moves to an open position with a downward motion of the bottom body to open the plurality of openings;
- and
- a plurality of flexible tethers coupling the top body and the bottom body.
15 more elements
An oscillating water column (OWC), comprising:
- a top body comprising a hollow cylindrical buoy column shape, the top body further comprising:
- an open top end;
- an open bottom end;
- a chamber traversing between the open top end and the open bottom end, the chamber comprising:
- a conical shaped skirt proximate to the open bottom end, the conical shaped skirt comprising a broader end and a narrower end, wherein the broader end of the conical shaped skirt resides proximate to the open bottom end and the narrower end of the conical shaped skirt resides distal to the open bottom end;
- a portion of the chamber proximate to the open top end;
- and
- a buoyancy volume residing between the conical shaped skirt and the portion of the chamber, wherein the buoyancy volume comprises a narrower water channel than the broader end of the conical shaped skirt and the portion of the chamber;
- a power take-off system proximate to the open top end;
- and
- an air channel proximate to the open top end and the power take-off system;
- a bottom body comprising:
- a bottom heave plate comprising a geometry with asymmetric effect;
- and
- a plurality of flexible tethers coupling the top body and the bottom body.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.