US 9,850,633 B1Granted

Method and structure for dampening tsunami waves

OwnerSergey Sharapovinventor

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Abstract

A tsunami-wave structure is provided for installation in the bottom of the sea/ocean in the near-shore area which is exposed to the air at the time of a low tide that precedes the arrival of tsunami. Normally, the structure is immersed in water and when exposed to air before arrival of the tsunami wave assumes a tsunami-wave dampening position under the effect of its own gravity. This is achieved by making the structure in the form of a two-lever mechanism having two lever arms separated by a fulcrum point with a counterweight attached to the end of one the lever arms and a tsunami-wave breaker pivotally connected to the end of the other lever arm so that when the structure is exposed to the air the tsunami-wave breaker is turned down and allows the counterweight to outweigh the tsunami-wave breaker and to raise it to the operation position.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A structure for dampening tsunami waves comprising:

a support structure, which is installed in the bottom of the sea/ocean in the negative wave area that precedes arriving of a destructive tsunami wave, immersed in the water when there is no tsunami, and exposed to the air at the time of the negative wave;
a lever mechanism installed on the support structure and having a first lever arm, a second lever arm, and a fulcrum point between the both arms located on the supports structure;
a counterweight held by the first lever arm;
a tsunami-wave breaker pivotally supported by the second lever arm and a tsunami-wave breaker pivot for pivotally supporting the tsunami-wave breaker by the second lever arm;
and
an excessive-tilt stopper installed on the second lever arm and preventing the tsunami-wave breaker from turning and tilting further over the vertical position;
the lever mechanism being made from materials having a density approximately equal to the density of water into which the lever mechanism is immersed, and the moments on the first lever arm and the second lever arm are equal to each other when the lever mechanism is immersed in the water so that in the water-immersed state both lever arms possess buoyancy approximately close to neutral.

4 more elements

A method for dampening tsunami waves comprising the steps of:

providing a structure for dampening tsunami waves comprising a support structure, which has a tsunami-wave breaker and is installed in the bottom of the sea/ocean in in the negative wave area that precedes arriving of a destructive tsunami wave, immersed in the water when there is no tsunami;
and exposed to the air at the time of the negative wave;
and which, when exposed to air, automatically assumes a tsunami-wave dampening position under the effect of its own gravity;
providing the structure with an excessive-tilt stopper for preventing the tsunami-wave breaker from turning and tilting further over the vertical position;
providing the structure with a vertical limit stopper installed in the bottom of the sea/ocean for limiting the turn of the tsunami-wave breaker in the clockwise direction when the structure is exposed to the air, the vertical limit stopper having a tsunami-facing side which is inclined from the vertical direction toward the support;
and
installing the structure for dampening tsunami waves in the bottom of the sea/ocean in the time of a negative wave.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.