Patent ID: 6812588
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: F03B,F04B,Y02A,Y02E

Abstract:
A wave energy converter comprising:a support structure fixed to a floor of a body of water; a piston assembly including a housing that forms a chamber containing an amount of pressurized fluid and having a first end attached to the support structure and a second end, a piston that is slidably disposed within the chamber, and a piston rod that is attached to the piston and that extends from the second end of the housing; a floatation device that is attached to the piston rod and that is adapted to cause the piston to move upward in the chamber in response to a rising wave, and to move downward by the force of gravity in response to a falling wave, the downward motion and gravitational force being effective to discharge the pressurized fluid from the chamber; at least one reservoir that is fluidly coupled to the piston assembly and that receives and stores the pressurized fluid; a hydraulically driven power generator that is fluidly coupled to the at least one reservoir and that receives and utilizes the pressurized fluid to generate electrical power; and a control system that is adapted to monitor water conditions and to control operation of the wave energy converter based upon the monitored water conditions by selectively controlling a flow of the pressurized fluid in the wave energy converter.