Underwater anchoring devices, systems, and methods
AssigneeVerterra Energy Inc.
InventorTheodore J. Christopher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method of submersible deployment that includes submersing a submersible turbine toward an anchor seated along a bottom of a body of water so that tail portion of the submersible turbine is oriented closer to a cap of the anchor and upstream of a nose portion of the submersible turbine, urging the submersible turbine against a direction of flow of the body of water such that a channel defined along a ventral portion of the submersible turbine is drawn over a cap of the anchor, and while the cap is slidably engaged the submersible turbine, rotating the submersible turbine about the cap such that the nose portion is oriented upstream of the tail portion.
Claims19
A submersible system comprising:
- an anchor having a cap configured to be submerged along a bottom of a body of water;
- a submersible turbine configured to rotate relative to the anchor while submerged to releasably lock the submersible turbine to the anchor;
- an outer housing having a hydrodynamic shape configured to orient the submersible turbine relative to a fluid flow and having a hydrodynamic center, the outer housing defining a bow portion, a stern portion, and a ventral portion;
- a primary attachment point configured to affix the submersible turbine to a tether;
- and
- a deployment attachment point arranged proximal the stern portion and configured to releasably affix the submersible turbine to the tether,
- wherein a channel is defined in the outer housing and extends from an open end proximal the stern portion and configured to receive the cap, to a terminal end arranged forward of the hydrodynamic center and configured to at least partly retain the cap.
A method of submersible deployment, comprising:
- submersing a submersible turbine toward an anchor seated along a bottom of a body of water so that tail portion of the submersible turbine is oriented closer to a cap of the anchor and upstream of a nose portion of the submersible turbine;
- urging the submersible turbine against a direction of flow of the body of water such that a channel defined along a ventral portion of the submersible turbine is drawn over a cap of the anchor;
- and
- while the cap is slidably engaged the submersible turbine, rotating the submersible turbine about the cap such that the nose portion is oriented upstream of the tail portion.
An assembly for submersible use, comprising:
- an anchor comprising:
- a cap;
- and
- a base affixed to the cap and configured to maintain a position submerged at a predetermined location proximal a bottom of a region of a flowing body of fluid;
- and
- a submersible apparatus comprising:
- an outer housing having a hydrodynamic shape configured to orient the submersible apparatus relative to a fluid flow and having a hydrodynamic center, the outer housing defining a bow portion, a stern portion, and a ventral portion;
- and
- a channel defined along the ventral portion and extending from an open end proximal the stern portion and configured to receive the cap, to a terminal end arranged forward of the hydrodynamic center and configured to at least partly retain the cap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.