Device for extracting energy from water waves
AssigneeThe Secretary of State for Energy, in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kindgom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
InventorRobert C. H. Russell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for extracting energy from water waves comprises high-level and low-level reservoirs with non-return valves for permitting water from wave crests to enter the high-level reservoir (but not return) and for permitting water from the low-level reservoir to escape as a water wave trough passes but preventing entry of water from the crests into the low-level reservoir. The non-return valves operate over a vertical extent and are such as to accommodate the variation in time with depth at which water pressure changes from high on one side and low the other to low on the one side and high on the other.
Claims9
A device for extraction of energy from water waves comprising a structure defining at least one high-level reservoir and at least one low-level reservoir, first non-return valve means operative over a vertical extent of the high level reservoir, which first non-return valve means open to permit passage of water into the high-level reservoir but close to prevent passage of water out of the high-level reservoir, second non-return valve means operative over a vertical extent of the low-level reservoir, which second non-return valve means open to permit passage of water out of the low-level reservoir but close to prevent passage of water into the low-level reservoir, the first and the second non-return valve means operating at one vertical position at least partly independently of operation at another vertical position thereby to respond to changes in water pressure across the valve means which occur at different times at different vertical positions up and down the vertical extent of the valve means, and to permit passage of water at one vertical position where the pressure difference across the valve means is in the forward direction while remaining closed or substantially closed at another vertical position where the pressure difference across the valve means is in the return direction and power generating means driven by the flow of water from the high-level reservoir to the low-level reservoir under the pressure head established by the difference in water levels in the respective reservoirs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.