Wave energy converter
AssigneeDartmouth Wave Energy Limited
InventorAlvin Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self priming gravity wave water pump, double acting, vertically self adjusting incorporating a submerged column platform as shown in FIG. 4A, the submerged column platform (22) can be tethered (28) or secured by a pivot to a weight (29) or fixed into the water bed (31). The column (22) can be incorporated into an additional submerged water filled column chamber (23), to operate as a hydraulic tidal adjustable column platform. The gravity wave pump (9) is a wave energy converter using wave energy in the form of wave motion to displace a float (2), to lift the pumps reciprocating piston (12) and uses gravity, causing a weight (3) to push a piston down as the wave passes. The pump could pressurise piped water to a head of up to 100 meters or more and could pump pressures in excess of 150 pounds per square inch when adjusted accordingly.
Claims20
A wave energy converter comprising:
- a column platform to be submerged in a body of water, the platform being supported in the water at a first end by a submerged float and being restrained by a tether coupled to a second end and the bed of the body of water;
- a pump assembly comprising (i) a cylinder mounted on the first end of the platform, (ii) a weighted surface float configured to float on the surface of the body of water, the surface float comprising a buoyant portion and a weight portion;
- (iii) a double acting reciprocating pump comprising (a) a double acting piston housed in the cylinder;
- (b) a reciprocating member extending downwardly from an underside of the surface float and further extending inside the cylinder to connect the double acting piston and the weighted surface float;
- (c) an outlet pipe;
- and (d) a manifold operably coupled to the cylinder and to the outlet pipe;
- wherein the buoyant portion of the weighted surface float drives an up stroke of the double acting piston as wave height increases, and the weight portion of the weighted surface float drives a down stroke of the double acting piston as wave height decreases;
- the pump assembly being configured to draw water from the body of the water into the cylinder on both the up stroke and on the down stroke of the double acting piston and to expel pressurised water from the cylinder via the outlet pipe on both the up stroke and the down stroke of the double acting piston;
- and
- wherein the displacement of the fully submerged float is greater than the combined submerged weight of the platform, the pump assembly, and the tether, such that the tether remains taut during the down stroke of the double acting piston.
A method of pumping water comprising:
- submerging a column platform in a body of water having waves at its surface and having a bed, the platform having a first end supported by a submerged float and a second end coupled to the bed using a tether, the submerged float keeping the tether taut;
- floating a weighted surface float at the surface of the body of water substantially above the submerged platform, the weighted surface float (i) comprising a buoyant portion and a weight portion and (ii) being coupled to a double acting reciprocating pump mounted on the first end of the submerged platform, the pump comprising (a) a cylinder mounted on the first end of the pump;
- (b) a double acting piston housed in the cylinder;
- (c) a reciprocating member extending downwardly from an underside of the surface float and further extending inside the cylinder to connect the double acting piston and the weighted surface float;
- (d) an outlet pipe;
- and (e) a manifold operably coupled to the cylinder and to the outlet pipe;
- utilising the buoyant portion of the weighted surface float to drive an up stroke of the double acting piston as wave height in the body of water increases;
- and
- utilising the weight portion of the weighted surface float to drive a down stroke of the double acting piston as wave height in the body of water decreases, wherein the double acting reciprocating pump is configured to draw water from the body of the water into the cylinder on both the up stroke and on the down stroke of the double acting piston and to expel pressurised water from the cylinder via the outlet pipe on both the up stroke and the down stroke of the double acting piston.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.