Patent ID: 9464620
Filing Date: 2016-10-11
CPC Classification: F03B,F05B,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A wave energy device for extracting energy from surface waves in a body of water, comprising: (a) an elongate and flexible tubular body comprising an outer wall, a channel within the outer wall that extends along a length of the tubular body, and a plurality of deformable chambers within the outer wall that are spaced along at least a portion of the length of the tubular body, the chambers being separated from the channel and capable of holding a fluid; (b) means for positioning said tubular body along a surface of the body of water in a direction of the waves; and (c) energy harnessing means for providing useful power from the bulge wave, comprising at least one accumulator for receiving or providing a flow of the fluid from or to at least one of the chambers, a means for controlling the flow of fluid into and from the accumulator, and an energy conversion device for providing power from the flow of fluid to extract energy from pressure changes in the fluid; wherein the wave energy device is adapted to be positioned along the surface of the body of water such that water contained within the channel is driven by the waves to form a series of bulge waves that travel along a length of the channel as the flexible tubular body flexibly follows a movement of said waves, a volume of each chamber is alternately compressed and expanded by the travelling bulge waves with consequent changes of pressure in the fluid held by each chamber as each of the bulge waves travel along the length of the channel, and the energy conversion device extracts energy from the bulge waves as each bulge wave travels along the length of the channel.