Methods and systems for free-floating nautical stationkeeping
AssigneeLone Gull Holdings, Ltd.
InventorsGrzegorz Filip, Bradley Beeksma
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for nautical stationkeeping of free-floating objects. In one example, a method includes adjusting translational motion of a body freely floating in water by rotating the body. The translational motion may be adjusted, for instance, to maintain the body within a geographic area. In certain examples, the adjustment of the translational motion may be realized via a Magnus effect induced by rotating the body. The body may be configured as, for example, a free-floating object such as a wave engine.
Claims7
An unmoored ocean faring wave energy converter, comprising:
- a hull having a draft of a length greater than a length of a largest horizontal width, the hull including a bulbous enclosure having substantial symmetry about a vertical axis and an open tube protruding downwardly therefrom;
- a reservoir within the bulbous enclosure adapted to adjust a buoyancy of the hull through ingress and egress of water received via the open tube;
- and
- a first fluid conduit traversing a surface of the bulbous enclosure, said first fluid conduit including a first fluid outlet for expelling water at a direction at least substantially tangential to a surface of the bulbous enclosure;
- wherein expulsion of said water through the first fluid conduit imparts a rotational force on the wave energy converter.
A wave energy harvesting system, comprising:
- an untethered floating wave engine adapted to convert wave motion to an energy product;
- and
- a remote controller;
- wherein the untethered floating wave engine rotates about a vertical axis in response to an impelling force;
- wherein the remote controller manipulates the untethered floating wave engine via a wireless network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.