Ocean wave energy system
AssigneeHavkraft AS
InventorGeir Arne Solheim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ocean wave energy system for generating power from ocean waves includes a platform supporting an array of hollow columns whose respective lower ends are in fluidic communication with ocean waves and whose respective upper ends are in air communication with a turbine arrangement such that wave motion occurring at the lower ends is operable to cause air movement within the columns for propelling the turbine arrangement to generate power output. The system further includes one or more position-adjustable and/or angle-adjustable submerged structures near the lower ends of the columns for forming ocean waves propagating in operation towards the lower ends of the columns to couple the waves in a controllable manner into the hollow columns.
Claims26
An ocean wave energy system for generating power from ocean waves, wherein said system includes a platform supporting an array of hollow columns whose respective lower ends are in fluidic communication with ocean waves and whose respective upper ends are in air communication with a turbine arrangement such that wave motion occurring at the lower ends is operable to cause air movement within said columns for propelling said turbine arrangement to generate power output,
- wherein said hollow columns are deployed in a non-vertical orientation, and at least a portion of said hollow columns are arranged in operation to exhibit a natural frequency of wave motion therein which is substantially matched to a frequency of ocean waves received at the portion of said hollow columns,
- wherein the system further comprises at least one fluid valve having a plurality of mutually abutting components each including one or more apertures, and wherein the components are moveable between a first state wherein the one or more apertures are mutually non-aligned for preventing fluid flow through the valve, and a second state wherein the one or more apertures are mutually aligned for enabling fluid flow through the valve.
An ocean wave energy system for generating power from ocean waves, wherein said system includes a platform supporting an array of hollow columns whose respective lower ends are in fluidic communication with ocean waves and whose respective upper ends are in air communication with a turbine arrangement such that wave motion occurring at the lower ends is operable to cause air movement within said columns for propelling said turbine arrangement to generate power output,
- wherein the system further includes one or more position-adjustable and/or angle-adjustable submerged structures near said lower ends of said columns for forming ocean waves propagating in operation towards said lower ends of said columns to couple said waves in a controllable manner into said hollow columns, and wherein said submerged structures are implemented as one or more planar structures provided with an actuator arrangement for displacing and/or tilting said one or more planar structures relative to said array of columns.
A method of controlling an ocean wave energy system, characterized in that said method includes:
- (i) sensing one or more characteristics of ocean waves approaching said ocean wave energy system to generate corresponding sensor signals;
- (ii) processing said sensor signals in a processing arrangement to generate corresponding control signals;
- and
- (iii) applying said signals to actuators coupled to one or more position-adjustable and/or angle-adjustable submerged structures near lower ends of columns of said system for forming said sensed ocean waves propagating in operation towards said lower ends of said columns to couple said waves in a controllable manner into said hollow columns for generating corresponding output power.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.