Long distance transmission of offshore power

• US 10,122,218 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Wave LLC
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Corum, James F., Corum, Kenneth L., Ashcroft, John Robert, Wilson, Stephen W., Miller, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/239,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 5/023 of the screw type
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 9/02 Nozzles; Nozzle boxes; Stator blades; Guide conduits , e.g. individual nozzles nozzle boxes F01D9/047
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/10 Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/264 using the horizontal flow of water resulting from tide movement
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/32 in water turbines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1823 structurally associated with turbines or similar engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for long distance transmission of offshore generated power. A turbine is located offshore. The turbine can be mechanically coupled to a generator. A guided surface waveguide probe is electrically coupled to the generator and configured to launch a guided surface wave on a terrestrial medium.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a turbine located underwater;

a generator mechanically coupled to the turbine; and

a guided surface waveguide probe electrically coupled to the generator, the guided surface waveguide probe being configured to launch a guided surface wave on a terrestrial medium.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a transmission station on the surface of the water, wherein the transmission station is electrically coupled to the generator by a transmission line.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the guided surface waveguide probe comprises a charge terminal elevated over the terrestrial medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) of the terrestrial medium.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the charge terminal is one of a plurality of charge terminals.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a feed network electrically coupled to the charge terminal, the feed network providing a phase delay (Φ

) that matches a wave tilt angle (Ψ

) associated with a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) associated with the terrestrial medium in the vicinity of the guided surface waveguide probe.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the turbine is enclosed within a shroud.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the turbine comprises a helical turbine.

8. A system, comprising:

a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a first guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium; and

a second guided surface waveguide probe coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure, wherein;

the second guided surface waveguide probe launches a second guided surface wave along the terrestrial medium.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second guided surface wave is launched at a different frequency than the first guided surface wave.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the second guided surface wave probe is directly coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the guided surface wave receive structure comprises a magnetic coil.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the guided surface wave receive structure comprises a linear probe.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the guided surface wave receive structure comprises a tuned resonator.

14. A method, comprising:

generating power with a generator located offshore, wherein the generator is coupled to a turbine located offshore;

transmitting the power from the generator to a guided surface waveguide probe located on a surface of water, the water comprising a portion of a terrestrial medium; and

launching from the guided surface waveguide probe a guided surface wave along an interface between the terrestrial medium and the atmosphere.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the guided surface waveguide probe comprises a charge terminal elevated over the terrestrial medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) of the terrestrial medium.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the charge terminal is one of a plurality of charge terminals.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the charge terminal is electrically coupled to a feed network providing a phase delay (Φ

) that matches a wave tilt angle (Ψ

) associated with a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ

_i,B) associated with the terrestrial medium in the vicinity of the guided surface waveguide probe.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the turbine comprises a horizontal axial turbine.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the turbine comprises a helical turbine.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the turbine is enclosed within a shroud.