Prime-mover dynamo plants – Electric control – Tide and wave motors
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-09
2004-06-29
Mullins, Burton S. (Department: 2834)
Prime-mover dynamo plants
Electric control
Tide and wave motors
C290S043000, C290S053000, C290S054000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06756695
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally relates to the technical field of energy generation and particularly to the field of energy generating devices for converting ocean wave energy to electrical energy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ocean waves are an attractive source of renewable energy. Ocean wave energy is abundant, more constant than wind and solar energy, well distributed around the globe and near much of the world's population. Nonetheless, little use has been made of ocean wave energy due to the difficulties in converting that energy into a useful form such as electricity.
Most conventional technologies relating to generating electricity from ocean waves focus on extracting ocean wave energy from the motion of the ocean waves as the ocean waves migrate through the energy generating device, either using moving flows or using wind turbines driven by air trapped in enclosures above the waves.
The following nine (9) references are believed to be pertinent to this field of art:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,501,696 issued to E. Souczek on Mar. 28, 1950 for “Stream Turbing” (hereafter the “Souczek patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,209,156 issued to A. D. Struble, Jr. on Sep. 28, 1965 for “Underwater Generator” (hereafter the “Struble patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,364 issued to Gustafson et al. on Jun. 22, 1976 for “Wave Generator” (hereafter the “Gustafson patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,148 issued to Morin on Aug. 30, 1977 for “Turbing” (hereafter the “Morin patent”);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,182 issued to Bowley on May 10, 1983 for “Underwater Power Generator” (hereafter the “Bowley patent”);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,808 issued to Hill on Jun. 7, 1988 for “Fluid Powered Motor-Generator Apparatus” (hereafter the “Hill patent”);
7. U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,190 issued to Pitts on Jul. 25, 1989 for “Submerged Ocean Current Electrical Generator And Method For Hydrogen Production” (hereafter the “Pitts patent”);
8. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des.261,639 issued to Robinson on Nov. 3, 1981 for “Water-Driven Electricity Generator” (hereafter the “Robinson Design Patent”); and
9. PCT Patent Publication No. WO 99/20896 published on Apr. 29, 1999 for “Method and Arrangement for Converting Kinetic Energy of Ocean Currents into Rotary Energy” (hereafter the “PCT Publication”).
The Souczek patent disclosed a stream turbine device. The device includes a an underwater carrier wing structure connected to the stream turbine and adapted to create dynamic buoyancy. The underwater carrier wing structure is connected to one and of an elongated holding device. The other end of the holding device is anchored at the bottom of the water course.
The Struble patent disclosed an underwater generator unit. The unit includes a body portion having waterproofed stator elements mounted in the exterior surface of the body portion. The unit also includes a shaft for rotatively securing an impeller assembly.
The Gustafson patent disclosed a device for utilizing energy stored in wave motion. The device includes a buoyant body on the water surface is anchored so as to permit free, unrestricted vertical movement when acted upon by a heaving wave. An energy collecting device is connected to the buoyant body and located at a depth where the water is not subjected to the vertical wave motion.
The Morin patent disclosed a turbine with a water-driven motive element adapted for being immersed in a body of water. The motive element includes a disc having a density close to that of the water in which it is immersed. The disc is horizontally disposed and has a plurality of cells containing a mixture of liquid and gas and the disc carries on the upper and lower surfaces thereof a plurality of blades which are pivotably movable about a horizontal axis. Each blade has one or more pocket containing a mixture of gas and a liquid such that the density of the blades connected to the upper surface of the disc is less than that of water and the density of the blades connected to the lower surface of the disc is greater than that of water. The disc carries a structure which holds the blades in one direction of pivotal movement when the blades reach a vertical position. Under the action of water current, the blades are driven to their vertical position and effect rotation of the disc, which serves to drive an electrical generator system.
The Bowley patent disclosed an apparatus and method for generating electrical power. The apparatus includes a plurality of power producing modules disposed in a substantially constant velocity ocean current. The method includes the steps of mechanically coupling the output of the modules to drive a single electrical generator.
The Hill patent disclosed a fluid powered motor-generator apparatus. The apparatus includes a generator having a power output and a mechanically driven input. The generator has a generally streamlined motor body rotatably mounted to drive the generator input. The motor has a plurality of radially extending generally V-shaped fins mounted on an outside surface thereof. The fins are mounted on brackets above an outer surface of the motor body and have a convex pointed side facing in the direction of rotation and a concave open side facing in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation. As a result, the action of a stream of fluid on the fins tends to rotate the motor the motor body and drive the generator. If the motor-generator apparatus is mounted in water, the generator can be enclosed in another streamlined body which is anchored tot he bed of the body of water. A third streamlined motor body can be attached to the bottom of the generator body with a plurality of radially extending fins oriented to cause it to rotate opposite to the direction of rotation of the first streamlined motor body.
The Pitts patent disclosed a system and method for generating chemical energy from ocean current energy. The system includes a unique suspension system having a support cable submerged below the ocean surface in an isolation zone remote from the adverse influences of storms and hurricanes. The support cable is submerged by a first anchor which includes guys, buoyancy chambers and guy anchors. A second anchor is provided by generator cable assemblies which suspend a plurality of electric energy generating units and are anchored by means of suspension anchors. Buoyancy provided by modules exert a buoyancy on the suspension system and provides that the basic components of the suspension system essentially support their own weight. In this manner, little or no weight is exerted on support cable by the anchors and generating units suspended. In a preferred embodiment, the generating units are arranged in a matrix of vertical and horizontal rows across the width and along the depth of the ocean current.
The Robinson Design patent disclosed a water-driven electricity generator.
The PCT Publication disclosed a method and arrangement for converting kinetic energy of ocean currents into rotatory energy. The arrangement includes one or more turbines which is arranged to extend substantially vertically form a buoy anchored in such a way in an ocean current that it cannot rotate with the turbine and driving an electric generator or another rotary machine. At the bottom of the turbine, a counterweight is provided to retain the turbine substantially vertically at normal speed of the ocean current but to permit it to assume an inclined position when subjected to temporarily increased current speeds, thereby protecting the turbine form harmful flexural stresses and protecting the rotary machine from being overloaded.
While many of the above cited references have described systems and/or method for generating electric energy from ocean current, these conventional devices are mostly relying on generating electricity from the migration of the ocean waves and focusing on extracting ocean wave energy from the motion of the ocean waves as the ocean waves migrate through the energy generating device, by using either moving flows or using wind turbines driven by air tra
Hibbs Bart D.
MacCready Tyler
Tokumaru Phillip T.
Zambrano Thomas
AeroVironment Inc.
Chen Tony D.
Gonzalez Julio C.
Mullins Burton S.
Rozsa Thomas I.
LandOfFree
Method of and apparatus for wave energy conversion using a... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of and apparatus for wave energy conversion using a..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of and apparatus for wave energy conversion using a... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3314159