METHOD FOR CLEANING DEPOSITS FROM A WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER

• US 20130276832A1
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Scharmann, Nik, Glanz, Leonore, Hackenberg, Juergen, Langner, Lasse, Hagemann, Benjamin, Singer, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US13/865,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20130276832A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/18
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 11/08 for removing foreign matter, e.g. mud
• 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

A method for cleaning deposits from a wave energy converter includes driving at least one rotatably mounted component that is coupled to an energy converter. The energy converter is configured to convert energy from wave motion of a fluid into a different form of energy. A negative energy balance of the wave energy converter is present during the cleaning over an average period of time.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning deposits from a wave energy converter, comprising:

driving at least one rotatably mounted component that is coupled to an energy converter,

wherein the energy converter is configured to convert energy from wave motion of a fluid into a different form of energy, and

wherein a negative energy balance of the wave energy converter is present during the cleaning over an average period of time.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting a rotatably mounted rotor in rotation by the wave motion to drive the energy converter.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one rotatably mounted component is the rotor.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

adjusting a pitch of at least one coupling body of the rotor such that a flow resistance on the at least one coupling body has a predetermined value.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

separately adjusting a pitch of at least two coupling bodies of the rotor such that forces acting on the at least two coupling bodies compensate one another.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one rotatably mounted component is a coupling body that is mounted rotatably on the rotor and/or is driven separately.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein driving at least one rotatably mounted component includes driving the at least one rotatably mounted component such that rotation of the at least one rotatably mounted component exceeds a predeterminable minimum speed.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein driving at least one rotatably mounted component includes driving the at least one rotatably mounted component such that a predeterminable flow velocity on a surface of the component is exceeded.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein driving at least one rotatably mounted component includes driving the at least one rotatably mounted component when a rotation of the component, caused by the wave motion, falls below a lower speed threshold for longer than a predeterminable duration.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein driving at least one rotatably mounted component includes driving the at least one rotatably mounted component when a flow velocity on a surface of the component falls below a lower flow velocity threshold for longer than a predeterminable duration.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of a cleaning time and cleaning success with a sensor system.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein driving at least one rotatably mounted component includes driving the at least one rotatably mounted component with one of the energy converter and a separate drive unit.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least one of a cleaning time and a cleaning success using power consumption required to drive the at least one rotatably mounted component.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein driving at least one rotatably mounted component includes driving the at least one rotatably mounted component for a duration that is determined as a function of at least one of the cleaning success and a distance to be covered of a reference point of the component.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein, during the cleaning, a direction of rotation of the at least one rotatably mounted component is altered and/or the direction of rotation of the at least one rotatably mounted component during the cleaning is at least temporarily opposite to a direction of rotation of the at least one rotatably mounted component in a normal mode.

16. A computing unit configured to carry out a method for cleaning deposits from a wave energy converter, comprising:

a device configured to drive at least one rotatably mounted component that is coupled to an energy converter,

wherein the energy converter is configured to convert energy from wave motion of a fluid into a different form of energy, and

wherein a negative energy balance of the wave energy converter is present during the cleaning over an average period of time

17. A wave energy converter comprising:

at least one rotatably mounted component;

an energy converter coupled to the at least one rotatably mounted component and configured to convert energy from wave motion of a fluid into a different form of energy; and

a computing unit including a device configured to drive the at least one rotatably mounted component.

18. The wave energy converter according to claim 17, wherein the at least one rotatably mounted component is coated at least partially with a non-stick coating.

19. The wave energy converter according to claim 17, further comprising:

at least one rotatably mounted rotor that has at least one coupling body configured to generate a torque on the at least one rotatably mounted rotor by generating a hydrodynamic lift force.