Offshore floating ocean energy system
AssigneeFloat
InventorsNeal A. Brown, Donald A. Innis
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the general art of energy storage and power generation, and in particular to systems for capturing and storing energy, for instance, offshore floating ocean energy systems. In various embodiments, such systems may include a pneumatically stabilized platform base coupled to a power generator and a potential energy storage device.
Claims21
An offshore floating energy system comprising:
- a pneumatically stabilized platform (PSP) including a plurality of vertical buoyancy members open at a bottom portion and a plurality of interstitial volumes defined therebetween;
- a renewable power generator coupled to the PSP and adapted to generate power based on natural conditions;
- and
- wherein the PSP serves as a potential energy storage device that stores unused or unneeded potential energy released by the renewable power generator generally in the form of pressurized air;
- wherein the potential energy storage device comprises a plurality of blowers configured to supply pressurized air to one or more of the vertical buoyancy members and/or interstitial volumes of the PSP, and wherein the blower is driven by power from the renewable power generator.
A pneumatically stabilized platform (PSP)-based stored energy regeneration system comprising a system wherein air is pressurized into an internal volume of the PSP by an air forcing device driven by an electric motor for pressurizing air, wherein the air-forcing device is configured to be operable in a forward mode and in a reverse mode and functions as an air-motor for driving an electrical generator when operated in the reverse mode, and wherein the air forcing device is driven by power from a renewable power generator.
A method of generating and storing potential energy in a PSP, comprising:
- generating power using a renewable power generator coupled to the PSP;
- and
- storing potential energy in a PSP-integrated energy storage device by pressurizing air in one or more defined volumes of the PSP, wherein pressurizing air in one or more defined volumes of the PSP comprises using an air forcing device driven by an electric motor to pressurize the air into the compartment;
- and driving the air forcing device by power venerated by the renewable power generator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.