Rainwater harvesting system
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorKathleen Evelyn Cooper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for collection of rainwater in the open ocean may include: (a) one or more ocean-going vessels, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured for collection and storage of rainwater, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured to drift with surface ocean currents in order to navigate to one or more delivery locations, wherein each delivery location is on or near to a land mass; and (b) one or more delivery stations located at the one or more delivery locations, wherein each delivery station is configured to receive stored rainwater from one or more of the ocean-going vessels.
Claims29
A system comprising:
- one or more ocean-going vessels, wherein each ocean-going vessel comprises a steering system and is configured for collection and storage of rainwater, wherein each ocean-going vessel is configured to collect rainwater while drifting with one or more surface ocean currents;
- and
- one or more delivery stations located at the at least one delivery location, wherein each delivery station is configured to receive stored rainwater from one or more of the ocean-going vessels;
- at least one control system operable to:
- (a) allow each ocean-going vessel to drift with surface ocean current in an ocean gyre in order to cross an ocean, such that the ocean-going vessel collects rainwater at a plurality of locations while crossing the ocean;
- and
- (b) after a given ocean-going vessel crosses the ocean on the ocean gyre, cause the given ocean-going vessel to operate the steering system of the ocean-going vessel to navigate to one of the delivery locations, wherein the at least one delivery location is on or near to a land mass.
An ocean-going vessel comprising:
- a steering system;
- a water storage chamber for storage of rainwater;
- at least one inflatable side feature, wherein an interior surface of the at least one inflatable side feature defines, at least in part, the water storage chamber of the at least one ocean-going vessel;
- and
- one or more openings to the water storage chamber that are configured to allow rainwater into the water storage chamber;
- a control system operable to:
- (a) allow the ocean-going vessel to drift with surface ocean currents in an ocean gyre in order to cross an ocean, and collect rainwater at a plurality of locations while crossing the ocean;
- and
- (b) after the ocean-going vessel crosses the ocean on the ocean gyre, cause the ocean-going vessel to operate the steering system of to navigate to a delivery location.
A method for collecting rainwater using one or more ocean-going vessels, the method comprising:
- providing, in an ocean, one or more ocean-going vessels configured for collection and storage of rainwater, wherein each ocean-going vessel comprises a steering system;
- allowing at least one ocean-going vessel to drift with surface ocean currents in an ocean gyre in order to cross the ocean, wherein the at least one ocean-going vessel collects rainwater at a plurality of locations while crossing the ocean;
- and
- after the at least one ocean-going vessel crosses the ocean on the ocean gyre, causing the at least one ocean-going vessel to operate the steering system of the ocean-going vessel to navigate a delivery location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.