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US 5,770,893 AGranted
Wave energy device
OwnerRodney Graham Youltoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wave energy device comprising a tube assembly comprising a plurality of open pipes of different lengths and natural resonant frequencies each (FIG. 8) where each tube (13) floating upright in the water (FIG. 2), with the tower end of the tube open to the water and generally disposed below the effective wave base. There is an air column above the water in the tube. Turbine (17) is provided for harnessing power from fluctuations in the air column caused by the changing water level (16) in the tube as a result of the wave motion of the surrounding water (11).
Claims12
A wave energy device comprising:
- a) a tube assembly comprising a plurality of open pipes of different lengths and natural resonant frequencies each having an upper end and a lower end, the device being adapted to float upright in a body of water which is subject to waves so that the lower end of at least one of said pipes is generally disposed below the effective wave base of the water and is open to the water;
- b) an inverted cup member covering the upper ends of the pipes, the cup member being such that when the device is in use the periphery of the cup member is below the surface of the water so that when the device is acted on by a peaking wave, water is forced up the inside of the cup member which movement complements relative dropping of the fluid in one of said pipes and vice versa when the device is in a wave trough;
- and
- c) means for harnessing power from the changing fluid levels in the cup member and pipes relative to a datum still water level as a result of the wave motion, the different lengths and natural resonant frequencies of the pipes serving to broaden the resonant frequency of the device to the wave motion and thereby the range of wave frequencies for which power is harnessed by said means.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.