Ocean wave energy converter

• US 4,232,230 A
• Filed: 06/14/1979
• Issued: 11/04/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Foerd Ames
• Original Assignee: Foerd Ames
• Inventors: Ames, Foerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rebsch, Donald
• Application Number:
  US06/048,324
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 290/42, 290/53, 416/84, 416/85, 417/100
• US Class Current: 290/53
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/1895 where the tie is a tension/compression member
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Abstract

A modular assembly of reciprocating electric generators with respective movable floats and a common submerged damper plate and buoyancy chamber produces electricity from wave motion on a body of water.

Claims

1. Apparatus for converting the energy of wave motion on the surface of a body of water to electricity, comprising:

(a) a plurality of linear electric generators, each including a tubular outer member surrounding a relatively reciprocable inner member.

(b) structural means maintaining said generators in a fixed relationship to each other, approximating elements of a cone, said outer members crossing in near intersection in the region of the apex thereof.

(c) a plurality of flotation devices disposed above said apex region, each secured to the inner member of one of said generators and adapted to ride on said surface and follow the wave motion, and

(d) a damper plate attached to the lower ends of said outer generators members and adapted to be disposed below said surface in a region relatively free of wave motion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including:

(e) a bouyancy device secured to said outer members above said damper plate, and removable ballast weights disposed on said plate for adjusting the mean flotation level of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a rectifier associated with each generator, the outputs of said rectifiers being interconnected to present the combined outputs of said generators as direct current at a single pair of terminals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said damper plate is of equilateral triangular form, and said generator outer members approximate respective edges of a regular tetrahedron.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further including fastener means for securing said apparatus to other such apparatus to form an array of wave energy converters.