Arrangement for concentrating sea waves

• US 4,255,066 A
• Filed: 09/13/1978
• Issued: 03/10/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1977
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Sentralinstitutt For Industriell Forskning
• Original Assignee: Sentralinstitutt For Industriell Forskning
• Inventors: Mehlum, Even
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbin, David H.
• Application Number:
  US05/942,497
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 405/30, 405/31, 405/35, 405/75, 405/76, 405/77, 290/53
• US Class Current: 405/76
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/062 Constructions floating in operational condition, e.g. breakwaters or wave dissipating walls floating oil barriers E02B15/08; floating stream regulating devices E02B3/02
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 9/08 Tide or wave power plants water-pressure machines, tide or wave motors F03B
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/141 with a static energy collector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/11 Hard structures, e.g. dams, dykes or breakwaters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Abstract

An arrangement for concentrating sea waves, includes a grid-like structure of stopping and/or delaying elements adapted to influence the amplitude and/or phase of the waves and located in such positions in the water that the elements in interaction with the incident sea waves form an interference pattern which gives a concentration of the wave energy in a limited area (concentration area). When the wave energy is to be utilized for power production, the grid-like element structure is designed to give a concentration of the wave energy in a concentration area located in the short-range field of the element structure. Preferably the elements in the structure are mainly situated in front of the concentration area with respect to the dominant wave incident directions. Moreover, the element structure may have an extension (aperture) which is substantially larger than the wave length of the dominant waves at the location.

Claims

1. A system for concentrating water wave energy, said system comprising an off-shore grid-like means for transforming substantially rectilinear fronts of incident water waves into substantially arch-like water wave fronts with concentrated wave energy in a common central area spaced from said grid-like means, said grid-like means comprising a structure formed of a series of interacting water wave stopping and/or delaying elements arranged substantially transversely of a primary direction of propagation of said incident water waves, and said elements being relatively dimensioned such that elements and spacings therebetween in a central portion of said series of elements have larger dimensions in the longitudinal direction of said series than elements and spacings therebetween remote from said central portion.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said common central area is situated behind said grid-like means, as viewed in said primary direction of propagation of said incident water waves.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said concentrated wave energy is to be utilized for power production, and wherein said common central area is located within a sector defined by:

##EQU2## wherein;

D_max =the largest dimension of said series of stopping and/or delaying elements; and

A_min =the distance between said common central area and the closest said element in said central portion of said series of elements,

said sector thus encompassing a short-range field of said series of elements.

4. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said grid-like means further comprises wave-diverging means positioned between said series of elements and said common central area.

5. A system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising wave reflection means positioned behind said grid-like means and behind said common central area, as viewed in said primary direction of propagation of said incident water waves.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of said grid-like means, as measured along said incident water waves, exceeds the largest wave lengths of said waves.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said grid-like means comprises at least one said element in the form of an interacting natural formation, for instance a rock, that may have been artificially shaped to improve interaction with neighboring said elements, for instance by blasting.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said elements is located below the water surface.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one of said elements is resilient to said incident water waves.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one of said elements comprises a plate-shaped member which is substantially horizontally oriented in the water at a depth therein that said incident water waves do not break on the member.

11. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said elements is adjustable in size and shape in a controlled manner.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means, associated with at least one of said elements, for displacing said at least one element with respect to position and/or orientation in a controlled manner.