Wave energy recovery system
AssigneeWave Energy Recovery Inc.
InventorsAlexander Greenspan, Greg Greenspan, Gene Alter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wave energy recovery system includes a plurality of motion translating assemblies, each assembly includes a buoy coupled to a shaft segment. The shaft segments form a shaft that is coupled to an electric power generating device. Each shaft segment is coupled to a buoy such that when the buoy moves vertically in response to a passing wave, the shaft segment rotates, thus rotating the shaft. The shaft is coupled to the electric power generating device such that when the shaft rotates, the generating device produces electric power. Once electric power is generated, it is delivered to shore, where it is stored, used to power a device, or delivered to a power distribution grid.
Claims11
A wave energy recovery system comprising:
- a plurality of motion translating assemblies, each motion translating assembly comprising:
- a main buoy;
- a retracting buoy;
- a shaft segment, where said shaft segment is one of a plurality of shaft segments forming a shaft connecting said plurality of motion translating assemblies;
- a pulley, coupled to said shaft segment;
- and
- a cable, coupled on a first end to said main buoy, coupled on a second end to said retracting buoy, and wrapped around said pulley, where vertical motion of the said main buoy translates into rotational motion of said pulley and said rotational motion of said pulley is translated to said shaft segment when said pulley rotates in a first direction, but said pulley does not translate rotational motion to said shaft segment when said pulley rotates in a second direction;
- and
- an electric power generating device coupled to said shaft, wherein rotational motion of said shaft results in said electric power generating device generating electric power.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.