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US 4,404,490 AGranted
Power generation from waves near the surface of bodies of water
OwnerGeorge W. Taylor, Joseph R. Burnsinventors
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OwnerGeorge W. Taylor, Joseph R. Burnsinventors
Estimating the term…
For the purpose of converting the mechanical energy of surface waves on bodies of water, a power generating piezoelectric structure (10) is provided comprising piezoelectric material members, preferably in the form of one or a laminate of sheets (14) of such material, each sheet having an electrode (24) on opposite surfaces thereof. Each pair of electrodes and the piezoelectric material therebetween define a power generating element, each of which is preferably dimensioned, relative to the wave lengths of selected waves on the body of water in which the generator is to be used, for increasing the efficiency of power conversion. A support means (12) is provided for maintaining the structure in a preselected position within and below the surface of the water. Preferably, the piezoelectric generating elements are flexible and are supported in such manner to allow flexure thereof in response to movement of the surrounding water. In certain embodiments, the elements are designed to enter into mechanical resonance in response to the passage of waves thereover, such flexure and/or resonance increasing the mechanical coupling efficiency between the waves and the elements.
The use of a piezoelectric material member for converting the mechanical energy of the surface waves of a body of water to electrical energy, said use comprising disposing said member beneath the surface of the body of water for directly absorbing pressure variations caused by the surface waves, said member including electrodes thereon between which an alternating voltage is generated in response to said pressure variations, the area of each of said electrodes being in excess of one square meter, means for preventing shorting of the electrodes by the surrounding water, and collecting, by means responsive to the alternating voltage at a frequency of said waves, the power generated by said member.
The use of a piezoelectric material member for converting the mechanical energy of the surface waves of a body of water to electrical energy, said use comprising disposing said member beneath the surface of the body of water for directly absorbing pressure variations caused by surface waves and in preselected orientation with respect to the direction of travel of selected ones of the waves, one of the dimensions of said member being an optimum dimension for maximizing the power output of said member, said dimension being a compromise between the requirements of the use of a large such dimension for providing a large area member and the use of a small such dimension to minimize power cancellation effects caused by the generation of different phase voltages in said member along said dimension;
A system for converting the mechanical energy of surface waves of a body of water to electrical energy comprising a plurality of piezoelectric elements, each element including a pair of electrodes between which an a.c. voltage is generated, means for insulating said electrodes of each said elements against shorting together by the surrounding medium, means for maintaining said elements in spaced apart relation beneath the surface of the body of water for directly absorbing pressure variations caused by surface waves, and means for interconnecting said elements for collecting, in additive phase relationship, the electrical energy generated by said members in response to said pressure variations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.