Prime-mover dynamo plants – Electric control – Tide and wave motors
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-05
2004-12-21
Waks, Joseph (Department: 2834)
Prime-mover dynamo plants
Electric control
Tide and wave motors
C290S053000, C204S194000, C310S015000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06833631
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to useful conversion of energy and, more particularly, to wave power generators for generating electrical power from wave action, to deep water hydrogen generators for producing compressed hydrogen gas via electrolysis and to methods therefor.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Fossil fuels such as coal and oil are riot renewable, and their uses may be increasingly limited by growing environmental concerns. To meet the energy demands of an expanding world population, it will inevitably become necessary to generate power economically from renewable energy sources. As a naturally renewable energy source, waves represent a free and sustainable resource offering outstanding potential for generating renewable power. Despite the fact that nearly 75 percent of the earth's surface is covered with water, waves unfortunately remain a largely unexplored source of energy compared with the progress that has been made in harnessing the energy of the sun and wind.
Designing an apparatus to capture wave energy and convert it into electrical power possesses difficult engineering problems. Although wave power generators using the power of ocean waves to produce electricity have been proposed, wave power generators thus far proposed have not been entirely commercially successful due to many problems. One problem involves the structural complexity and unreliability of prior wave power generators. Prior wave power generators have generally failed to function properly and/or to endure in hostile, salt-laden ocean environments, which present extremely variable meteorological conditions ranging from calm weather and flat seas to winds, storms and waves in excess of forty feet. Particularly, conventional wave power generators are unable to withstand the expected, if not inevitable, occurrences of storms and of being run over by ships or other sea-going vessels. Another problem of conventional wave power generators is that they are prohibitively expensive in relation to the amount of energy they produce. Most conventional wave power generators are able to capture only a small fraction of the wave energy to which they are subjected and, even if all of the wave energy could be captured, the high cost of conventional wave power generators is likely to be greater than the amount of energy obtained. An additional problem is that many proposed wave power generators require a major investment in on-shore or near-shore infrastructure or equipment. Where on-shore or near-shore equipment must be installed, the equipment itself-may-be subjected to the impact of crashing waves and may thusly be susceptible to premature failure.
Another valuable source of power is hydrogen gas, which is currently being explored for use as a fuel in internal combustion engines, fuel cells, heating and cooling applications, transportation applications as well as various other applications. Hydrogen is also used to make various products including ammonia, methanol, gasoline, heating oil, rocket fuel, fertilizers, glass, refined metals, vitamins, cosmetics, semiconductor circuits, soaps, lubricants, cleaners, margarine, and peanut butter. The use of hydrogen as a fuel represents a clean, safe and efficient energy source which would reduce dependency on petroleum fuel. One method of generating hydrogen gas is electrolysis, i.e., the use of electrical energy to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, and hydrogen generators using electrolysis have been proposed. A limitation to the use of electrolysis for hydrogen gas production is the need for electrical energy, which often times must be provided at substantial cost. Another limitation is that the hydrogen gas produced by electrolysis must normally be compressed prior to use, thusly requiring additional specialized equipment and procedures which consume significant amounts of power and decrease the efficiency of the hydrogen gas production process.
Accordingly, there is a need for wave power generators which are simple, reliable, capable of operating efficiently for long durations in remote ocean environments and which are cost-effective in relation to the energy produced. There is also a need for deep water hydrogen generators whereby hydrogen gas produced therefrom is compressed as a consequence of the hydrogen generators being disposed significant depths underwater without the need for any additional specialized structure or procedures. A need further exists for wave power generators that can be used to power deep water hydrogen generators.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of prior wave power generators and hydrogen generators.
A further object of the present invention is to economically generate electrical and/or hydrogen power in ocean environments.
Another object of the present invention is to utilize the vertical motion of waves to generate electrical power in simple, economically feasible wave power generators capable of withstanding ocean environments.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to utilize discarded tires to create a bellows-type wave power generator for generating electrical power from wave action.
It is also an object of the present invention to utilize wave action to obtain relative linear movement between a coil and magnet to generate electrical power.
A still further object of the present invention is to utilize a surface flotation device which is subjected to wave action to effect relative linear movement between an underwater coil and magnet to produce electrical power.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple, self-contained wave and wind power generator.
Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to locate a hydrogen generator at an underwater depth sufficient to result in pressurization of hydrogen gas produced by the hydrogen generator.
The present invention has as a further object to produce compressed hydrogen gas as a natural consequence of performing electrolysis a significant depth under water.
An additional object of the present invention is to increase the efficiency of deep water electrolysis by heating the water for electrolysis using artificial or natural heat sources.
Yet another object of the present invention is to utilize wave action to power deep water hydrogen generators.
Some of the advantages of the present invention are that electrical power produced by the wave power generators can be transmitted to various remote locations; discarded tires can be used to form an air bellows in the bellows-type wave power generators; the air bellows can have various other useful applications including flotation, crash protection and shock absorption; automated procedures can be used to connect the tires to form the air bellows; the tires can be connected in various ways; environmental conditions are enhanced since discarded tires can be put to beneficial use; tires are particularly well suited to a marine environment; a plurality of air bellows can be bundled together for increased structural integrity and/or air volume; the wave power generators may be fitted with various accessories; electric power generated by the wave power generators may be used to power the accessories; wind generators may be incorporated in the wave power generators for increased energy production; various turbine generators may be incorporated in the wave power generators to convert mechanical movement into electrical energy; a plurality of wave power generators may be interconnected for cumulative energy production; linear wave power generators incorporating a coil and magnet can have the coil moveable relative to the magnet or vice versa; linear wave power generators may be completely submerged underwater for operation via a remote spar buoy or flotation device; the hydrogen generators may be powered by the wave power generators or any other electrical source; hydrogen may be advantageously produced in deep water as foun
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