Wave power apparatus
AssigneeOcean Power Delivery Limited
InventorRichard Yemm
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wave power apparatus includes a plurality of buoyant elongate body members, at least one adjacent pair of body members being interconnected by a linkage unit to form an articulated chain. Each body member of said pair is connected to the respective linkage unit by linkage means permitting relative rotation of the body members. A power extraction means, being located substantially within each linkage unit, is adapted to resist and extract power from the relative rotation.
Claims34
A wave power apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of buoyant elongate body members, at least one adjacent pair of body members being interconnected by a linkage unit to form an articulated chain, each body member of said pair being connected to the respective linkage unit by linkage means permitting relative rotation of the body members;
- power extraction means adapted to resist and extract power from the relative rotation, the power extraction means being located substantially within each linkage unit;
- wherein each linkage unit is arranged to permit relative rotation between the linkage unit and a first body member about a first axis of rotation at only a first end of the linkage unit, and to permit relative rotation between the linkage unit and a second body member about a second axis of rotation only at a second end of the linkage unit;
- wherein the first and second axes of rotation are mutually orthogonal.
A linkage unit for use in a wave power apparatus including a plurality of buoyant elongate body members, the linkage unit comprising:
- linkage means for interconnection between the body members permitting relative rotation at either end of the unit;
- power extraction means adapted to resist and extract power from the relative rotation of the body members;
- the power extraction means being located substantially within the linkage unit;
- and
- wherein the linkage unit is arranged to permit relative rotation between the linkage unit and a first body member about a first axis of rotation only at a first end of the linkage unit, and to permit relative rotation between the linkage unit and a second body member about a second axis of rotation only at a second end of the linkage unit;
- wherein the first and second axes of rotation are mutually orthogonal.
A method of extracting power from waves comprising:
- deploying a wave power apparatus, the wave power apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of buoyant elongate body members, at least one adjacent pair of body members being interconnected by a linkage unit to form an articulated chain, each body member of said pair being connected to the respective linkage unit by linkage means permitting relative rotation of the body members;
- power extraction means adapted to resist and extract power from the relative rotation, the power extraction means being located substantially within each linkage unit;
- wherein each linkage unit is arranged to permit relative rotation between the linkage unit and a first body member about a first axis of rotation only at a first end of the linkage unit, and to permit relative rotation between the linkage unit and a second body member about a second axis of rotation only at a second end of the linkage unit;
- wherein the first and second axes of rotation are mutually orthogonal;
- the method further comprising:
- orientating the structure such that a front end of the structure faces into the oncoming waves;
- and
- extracting the power absorbed in the or each linkage unit.
A method of manufacturing a wave power apparatus including a plurality of buoyant elongate body members, the method comprising:
- interconnecting each pair of adjacent body members of the apparatus with a linkage unit, the linkage unit comprising:
- linkage means for interconnection between the body members permitting relative rotation at either end of the unit;
- power extraction means adapted to resist and extract power from the relative rotation of the body members;
- the power extraction means being located substantially within the linkage unit;
- and
- wherein the linkage unit is arranged to permit relative rotation between the linkage unit and a first body member about a first axis of rotation only at a first end of the linkage unit, and to permit relative rotation between the linkage unit and a second body member about a second axis of rotation only at a second end of the linkage unit;
- wherein the first and second axes of rotation are mutually orthogonal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.