TETHERED AQUATIC DEVICE WITH WATER POWER TURBINE
First Claim
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1. A water current driven electric power generating apparatus comprising:
- an aquatic device comprising;
a hydrofoil having a wing-like structure and a direction of travel generally perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the hydrofoil;
a plurality of flight components to affect cross-current tacking of the hydrofoil about a trajectory;
at least one water power turbine coupled to the hydrofoil, wherein the at least one water power turbine comprises;
a rotor,at least one rotor blade coupled to the rotor, andan electric power generator coupled to the rotor; and
a tether comprising an insulated conductor coupled to the electric power generator, wherein the tether comprises at least a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end of the tether is coupled to the aquatic device and the second end of the tether is coupled to an anchorage point on land or sea.
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Abstract
A water power turbine energy conversion device and method of generating electric power that can take advantage of water current speeds is hereinafter disclosed. The water power turbine energy conversion device includes an unmanned tethered aquatic device (TAD) connected to one end of a tether (which may include multiple shorter tethers), the other end being connected to an anchorage point. The TAD comprises a hydrofoil wing-like structure with one or more water power turbines and performs waterborne maneuvers such as cross-current tracking to increase the relative water current speed of up to about four times the true water current speed.
73 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A water current driven electric power generating apparatus comprising:
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an aquatic device comprising; a hydrofoil having a wing-like structure and a direction of travel generally perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the hydrofoil; a plurality of flight components to affect cross-current tacking of the hydrofoil about a trajectory; at least one water power turbine coupled to the hydrofoil, wherein the at least one water power turbine comprises; a rotor, at least one rotor blade coupled to the rotor, and an electric power generator coupled to the rotor; and a tether comprising an insulated conductor coupled to the electric power generator, wherein the tether comprises at least a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end of the tether is coupled to the aquatic device and the second end of the tether is coupled to an anchorage point on land or sea. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A water current driven electric power generating apparatus comprising:
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an aquatic device comprising; a hydrofoil having a wing-like structure and a direction of travel generally perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the hydrofoil; a plurality of flight components to affect cross-current tacking of the aquatic device about one of a figure-eight trajectory or a circular trajectory thereby increasing a speed of the aquatic device to greater than a speed of a true water current; at least one water power turbine coupled to a trailing edge of the hydrofoil, relative to the direction of travel, wherein the at least one water power turbine comprises; a rotor, at least one rotor blade coupled to the rotor, and an electric power generator coupled to the rotor, and an active ballast system housed within the hydrofoil and dynamically adjustable to affect center of and total buoyancy of the aquatic device; and a tether comprising an insulated conductor coupled to the electric power generator, wherein the tether comprises at least a first end and a second end, and wherein the first end of the tether is coupled to the aquatic device and the second end of the tether is coupled to an anchorage point on land or sea. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for generating electric power with a water current driven electric power generating apparatus, the method comprising:
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coupling an aquatic device to an anchorage point using a tether, wherein the tether comprises an insulated conductor, and wherein the aquatic device comprises; a hydrofoil having a wing-like structure and a direction of travel generally perpendicular to a longitudinal length of the hydrofoil; at least one water power turbine coupled to the hydrofoil, wherein the water power turbine comprises; a rotor, at least one rotor blade, and an electric power generator; and performing waterborne maneuvers including cross-current tacking that enable the aquatic device to consistently travel at speeds greater than a true water current speed, thereby rotating the at least one water power turbine and thus the generator. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification