WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER
First Claim
1. A wave energy generator comprising:
- a float and an electrical energy generator engaged with said float, said electrical energy generator comprising;
a housing having a longitudinal axis, an interior cavity, an interior cavity surface, and an exterior surface;
an electrically conductive material positioned about at least a portion of said exterior surface of said housing and extending along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis;
electromagnetically active mass positioned within said housing reciprocally movable along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis;
a first spring having first and second ends, wherein one of said ends is engaged with said housing and one of said ends is engaged with said electromagnetically active mass; and
a second spring having first and second ends, wherein one of said ends is engaged with said housing and one of said ends is engaged with said electromagnetically active mass.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wave energy generator includes a float for floating on the surface of a body of water. An electrical energy generator that is capable of generating usable electrical energy from the kinetic energy of waves is mounted to or otherwise engaged with the float. The electrical energy generator includes a housing, a coil of electrically conductive material, a reciprocally movable electromagnetically active mass, and springs for connecting the mass to the housing. The electrical energy generator may optionally include spring adjustment means engaged with the housing, means for constraining non-linear motion of the electromagnetically active mass, and/or means of mitigating motion retardation of the electromagnetically active mass within the housing.
23 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A wave energy generator comprising:
a float and an electrical energy generator engaged with said float, said electrical energy generator comprising; a housing having a longitudinal axis, an interior cavity, an interior cavity surface, and an exterior surface; an electrically conductive material positioned about at least a portion of said exterior surface of said housing and extending along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis; electromagnetically active mass positioned within said housing reciprocally movable along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis; a first spring having first and second ends, wherein one of said ends is engaged with said housing and one of said ends is engaged with said electromagnetically active mass; and a second spring having first and second ends, wherein one of said ends is engaged with said housing and one of said ends is engaged with said electromagnetically active mass. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A wave energy generator comprising:
a float and an electrical energy generator engaged with said float, said electrical energy generator comprising; a housing having a longitudinal axis; electrically conductive material engaged about at least of portion of an exterior surface of said housing and extending along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis; an electromagnetically active mass positioned within said housing, said mass reciprocally movable along at least a portion of said longitudinal axis; a first spring having first and second ends, wherein one of said ends is engaged with said housing and one of said ends in engaged with said electromagnetically active mass; a second spring having first and second ends, wherein one of said ends is engaged with said housing and one of said ends is engaged with said electromagnetically active mass; and a means to mitigate motion retardation of said electromagnetically active mass within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
Specification