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US 7,029,340 B2Granted
Regenerative surfing
OwnerTimothy D Smithinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Regenerative surfing is utilizing a controllable regenerative braking system to regulate speed while surfing. A vertical sculling hydrofoil boat, utilizes the regenerative braking system and includes a vertical sculling drive system for both propulsion and regenerative braking. The regenerative surfing boat also may include ballast tanks to tune the speed at which the maximum lift to drag ratio appears. The regenerative surfing boat may use an automated surfing control system to control the boat. A method of controlling the trajectory of a surfing boat by controlling a regenerative braking device utilizes a hydrodynamic power collection device for trajectory control as an energy harvesting method.
Claims18
A method whereby a regenerative surfing boat is able to extract energy from water waves by following a trajectory composed of a sequence of steps, including at least one regenerative surfing step, comprising:
- a) a plurality of wave capture steps;
- wherein the purpose of said wave capture step is for said regenerative surfing boat to efficiently start surfing on a wave whereby said boat is likely to collect power by regenerative surfing;
- wherein in said wave capture steps said regenerative surfing boat maneuvers itself onto the face of a wave likely to result in positive power collection;
- wherein in said wave capture steps said regenerative surfing boat accelerates or decelerates to approximately match the speed of said promising wave;
- wherein in said wave capture steps said regenerative surfing boat orients its path to follow in the general direction of said promising wave;
- wherein at the end of said wave capture step said regenerative surfing boat is surfing on said promising wave;
- that is, said boat is located on the face of said wave, said boat is traveling with said wave, and the force of gravity pulling said boat down the face of said wave is greater than the drag of said boat;
- b) a plurality of regenerative surfing steps,
- wherein said regenerative surfing steps are preceded by said wave capture steps;
- wherein the purpose of said regenerative surfing step is to maximally collect power by regenerative braking while being pulled down steep parts of the face of said wave;
- wherein during said regenerative surfing steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to occasionally extract power from said wave by regenerative braking, provided the drag of said boat without said regenerative braking is less than the product of the force of gravity times the sine of said wave's slope at the location of said boat;
- wherein during said regenerative surfing steps said boat may occasionally utilize propulsive thrust to accelerate forward onto steeper parts of the face of said wave;
- wherein during said regenerative surfing steps said boat may occasionally utilize turning maneuvers to move laterally onto steeper parts of said wave's face;
- wherein during said regenerative surfing steps said boat may occasionally apply braking forces to maneuver backward onto steeper parts of said wave's face;
- wherein during said regenerative surfing steps said boat may occasionally glide without applying any braking, turning or accelerating forces while waiting for steep sections of said wave's face to appear;
- wherein during said regenerative surfing steps said boat may simultaneously execute more than one of the above regenerative surfing techniques;
- c) a plurality of surfing dismount steps;
- wherein the purpose of said surfing dismount step is to terminate a regenerative surfing step;
- wherein during said surfing dismount steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to leave said wave face by applying a braking force until said wave passes ahead of said boat;
- wherein during said surfing dismount steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to leave said wave face with a turning maneuver that causes said boat to change direction such that it no longer travels with said wave;
- wherein during said surfing dismount steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to leave said wave face by accelerating down and off the front of said wave face;
- wherein during said surfing dismount steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to leave said wave by default, as said wave may diminish in strength until it can no longer support surfing;
- wherein during said surfing dismount steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to simultaneously execute more than one of the surfing dismount techniques described previously;
- d) a plurality of transit steps;
- wherein the purpose of said non-surfing transition steps is to repositioning said regenerative surfing boat in a timely manner to a good point on the surface of the water for initiating said wave capture step onto the next promising wave;
- wherein during said non-surfing transit steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to occasionally conserve energy by coasting without propulsion, as long as such coasting supports said transit goal;
- wherein during said not-surfing transit steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to apply propulsion thrust in order to achieve said transit goal;
- wherein during said non-surfing transit steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to change course in order to achieve said transit goal;
- wherein during said no-surfing transit steps said regenerative surfing boat is able to execute more than one transit technique, either sequentially or simultaneously, in order to achieve said transit goal;
- e) a plurality of drifting steps;
- wherein said drifting steps are preceded by either said transit steps or by said surfing dismount steps;
- wherein said drifting steps precede either said transit steps or said wave capture steps;
- wherein the purpose of said drifting steps is to conserve energy while conditions are not suitable for entering a wave capture step;
- wherein during said drifting steps said boat may utilize regenerative braking to convert the kinetic energy of said boat for future use;
- wherein during said drifting steps said boat may drifts at near zero speed without propulsion to conserve energy.
32 more elements
A regenerative surfing boat (1) that extracts energy from water waves by regenerative surfing, comprising:
- a) a propulsion system (2),
- wherein said propulsion system is capable of accelerating said boat to approximately the same speed as the wave that it intends to surf in capture steps;
- wherein said propulsion system is capable of providing thrust at surfing speeds to effect position changes while in regenerative surfing steps;
- b) a low drag hull form (3),
- wherein the drag of said hull form is less than the pull of gravity on the boat times the sine of the local wave slope during typical conditions in regenerative surfing phases;
- wherein said low drag hull form frequently requires a additional drag in the form of regenerative braking to maintain optimal surfing position during regenerative surfing steps;
- c) a controllable regenerative braking system (4),
- wherein said controllable regenerative braking system provides controllable drag for trajectory control during said regenerative surfing steps;
- wherein said controllable regenerative braking system is utilized to provide aggressive braking forces during said wave dismount steps and to initiate said drifting steps;
- wherein said controllable regenerative braking system extracts power from the water flowing past said regenerative surfing boat while braking;
- d) an energy storage system (5),
- wherein said energy storage system provides energy for said propulsion system (2);
- wherein said energy storage system is supplied by energy from said controllable regenerative braking system (4);
- d) a maneuvering control system (6),
- wherein said maneuvering control system (6) is able to consist of passive and active elements;
- wherein said passive elements of is able to be intrinsic properties of said low drag hull form (3), said propulsion system (2), or said controllable regenerative braking system (4);
- wherein said active elements may consist of lift producing hydrodynamic surfaces, drag producing hydrodynamic surfaces, the propulsion system (2), the controllable regenerative braking system (4), mass shifting devices, or gyroscopes;
- wherein said maneuvering control system is capable of commanding steady speeds for said regenerative surfing boat;
- wherein said maneuvering control system is capable of commanding sufficient acceleration to perform maneuvers required by the regenerative surfing method;
- wherein said maneuvering control system is capable of commanding sufficient deceleration to perform maneuvers required in the regenerative surfing method;
- wherein the yaw stability provided by said maneuvering control system enables said regenerative surfing boat to maintain course in seas;
- wherein the yaw control provided by said maneuvering control system is sufficient for performing the turning maneuvers required in the regenerative surfing method;
- wherein the roll stability provided by said maneuvering control system is sufficient to prevent roll over or other forms capsize during all steps of the regenerative surfing method;
- wherein the roll control provided by said maneuvering control system is sufficient for perform the maneuvers required in the regenerative surfing method;
- wherein the pitch stability provide by said maneuvering control system is sufficient for preventing pearling or other forms of capsize during all steps of the regenerative surfing method.
22 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.