Wave powered pumping apparatus and method

A pumping apparatus for pumping fluid using energy from rising and falling wave action in a body of fluid, comprising:

• a primary piston pump, comprising:
• a primary cylinder;
• a primary piston reciprocally disposed in the primary cylinder and cooperating with the primary cylinder to form a primary pumping chamber on one side of the primary piston and a primary relief chamber on the other side of the primary piston;
• an inlet port extending through the primary piston pump into the primary pumping chamber for admitting fluid to the primary pumping chamber;
• an outlet port extending through the primary piston pump into the primary pumping chamber for discharging fluid from the pumping chamber;
• an inlet check valve connected to the inlet port;
• and
• an outlet check valve connected to the outlet port;
• a secondary piston pump, comprising:
• a secondary cylinder;
• a secondary piston reciprocally disposed in the secondary cylinder and cooperating with the secondary cylinder to form a secondary pumping chamber on one side of the secondary piston and a secondary relief chamber on the other side of the secondary piston;
• and
• a bidirectional port, connected to a fluid container extending above the pumping apparatus, for bidirectionally passing fluid between the secondary pumping chamber and the fluid container;
• an anchor connected to either the primary piston or the primary cylinder and connected to either the secondary piston or the secondary cylinder;
• and
• a float, connected to the one of the primary piston and the primary cylinder and connected to the one of the secondary piston and the secondary cylinder to which the anchor is not connected, the float moving the one of the primary piston and the primary cylinder and the one of the secondary piston and the secondary cylinder to which the float is connected relative to the other of the primary piston and the primary cylinder and the other of the secondary piston and the secondary cylinder to which the anchor is connected as the float is upstroked by a rising wave action, thereby reducing the capacity of the primary and secondary pumping chambers and pumping fluid from the primary and secondary pumping chambers;
• interconnection means, connected between the primary and the secondary piston pumps, for enlarging the capacity of the primary pumping chamber as the capacity of the secondary pumping chamber is enlarged;
• and
• wherein the fluid in the fluid container exerts a reloading pressure in the secondary pumping chamber in opposition to the buoyancy of the float;
• the reloading pressure moving the one of the secondary piston and the secondary cylinder to which the float is connected, enlarging the size of the secondary pumping chamber, and downstroking the float in response to falling wave action;
• and thereby moving the one of the primary piston and the primary cylinder to which the float is connected, enlarging the capacity of the primary pumping chamber, downstroking the float, and drawing fluid into the primary pumping chamber through the inlet check valve in response to falling wave action.