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US 2026/0266255 A1Published application
Wave Energy Powered Underwater Vehicle
AssigneeAlliance for Energy Innovation, LLC
InventorsJochem Wilhelm WEBER, Salman HUSAIN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An underwater vehicle capable of operating in a charging mode where electrical energy may be harvested from wave action and stored in a battery and a discharging mode where the battery is used to power the device. Charging may include allowing the underwater vehicle to be positioned substantially perpendicular in the water. This may allow the hull and at least one fin to move counter to each other (in some embodiments out of sync with each other) to generate electrical energy.
Claims20
An underwater vehicle comprising:
- a hull having an end;
- a first hinge connected to the end;
- a first flap connected to the first hinge;
- a second hinge connected to the end;
- and
- a second flap connected to the second hinge;
- wherein:
- the first hinge comprises a first power take off (PTO) component,
- the first PTO component is configured to convert a first movement of the first hinge to an electrical energy,
- the second hinge comprises a second PTO component,
- the second PTO component is configured to convert a second movement of the second hinge to an electrical energy, and
- the first movement and the second movement may be caused by a wave action.
9 more elements
A method comprising:
- operating an underwater vehicle in a charging mode;
- and
- operating the underwater vehicle in a discharging mode;
- wherein:
- the underwater vehicle comprises:
- a hull having an end;
- a first hinge comprising a first power take off (PTO) component and connected to the end;
- a first flap connected to the first hinge;
- a second hinge comprising a second PTO component and connected to the end;
- and
- a second flap connected to the second hinge;
- the charging mode comprises using the first PTO component to convert a change in an angle between the first flap and the hull to electrical energy,
- the charging mode comprises using the second PTO component to convert a change in an angle between the second flap and the hull to electrical energy,
- the charging mode comprises storing the electrical energy in a battery, and
- the discharging mode comprises using the electrical energy to power to underwater vehicle.
12 more elements
An underwater vehicle comprising:
- a hull having an end and a length;
- a hinge connected to the end;
- and
- a flap connected to the hinge;
- wherein:
- the hinge comprises a power take off (PTO) component,
- the PTO component is configured to convert a movement of the hinge to an electrical energy, and
- the movement is caused by a wave action.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.