Patent ID: 8169093
Filing Date: 2012-05-01
Classification: B63J,F03B,F03D,F05B,Y02A,Y02E

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for extracting energy from wind and wave motion, said apparatus comprising a common floating platform comprising a hull of a ship or vessel, said hull being subject to pitching and/or rolling motion from wind and/or waves; means for mooring said hull in an offshore location; one or more vertical axis wind turbines supported on said hull for extracting energy from wind; and one or more wave energy extraction devices positioned at least at one side of said hull for extracting energy from wave motion relative to said hull whereby in use pitching and/or rolling of said hull consequent upon wind gust loading on said wind turbines and/or wave motion increases relative movement between the or each said wind turbine and the surrounding air and between the or each said wave energy extraction device and the water adjacent said hull resulting in an increase in energy extraction from wind and wave motion; wherein one or more of said wave energy extraction devices comprise one or more oscillating water column (OWC) wave energy conversion devices, each OWC device including means for extracting energy from compression and expansion of air within an upright air chamber caused by an oscillating column of water in the air chamber due to wave motion.