METHOD FOR UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY TRANSFER WITH A LONG LEAD ZIRCONATE TITANATE TRANSDUCER

• US 20120268083A1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Derke R. Hughes
• Original Assignee: Derke R. Hughes
• Inventors: Hughes, Derke R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,338,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 322/2.R
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/1885 and the wom is tied to the rem
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/709 Piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Abstract

The invention as disclosed is an underwater based electric energy production method. A cable having a piezoelectric core is attached on one end thereof to a floating buoy and on the other end thereof to an anchor. The system is deployed in the water such that the cable extends vertically through a water column. Movement of the cable due to water current generates electric power that can be harvested and stored. The floating buoy can be at or near the water'"'"'s surface and the anchor can but need not rest on the sea floor.

Claims

1. A method of operating an underwater electric energy production system that employs a long lead zirconate titanate transducer core within an armored cable attached to a buoy and an anchor, a microprocessor and data acquisition board, a velocity sensor, a reservoir tank located in the anchor capable of holding water and a valve joined to the reservoir tank that will allow water into the reservoir tank, wherein actuation of the valve, and the velocity sensor is controlled by the microprocessor, comprising the steps of:

taking a periodic measurement the velocity U of the water current flowing over the diameter D of the cable with the velocity sensor;

relaying the velocity measurement to the processor;

determining through the processor if the velocity measurement is within the range of a predetermined sea state;

associating through the processor a frequency f_s with the current flowing over the diameter D of the cable according to the equation f_s=StrU/D, wherein the velocity is determined to be outside of the range of a predetermined sea state, wherein the Str variable refers to Strouhal'"'"'s number;

substituting f_s for ω

_n in the equation