Patent ID: 7830032
Filing Date: 2010-11-09
Classification: F03B,F05B,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for generating electrical power upon being placed at an installation site in a body of water wherein waves occur naturally over an area of the body of water to move the water about a mean water level beneath an ambient atmosphere to effect an alternate rise and fall in the water level about the mean water level, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of chambers, each chamber having a substantially closed top end and an open bottom end; the chambers being arranged over a field for immersion in the body of water over the area of the body of water at the installation site, oriented with the top end of each chamber located above the mean water level and the bottom end located below the mean water level such that water will enter each chamber through a corresponding open bottom end upon a rise in the water level above the mean water level and will leave each chamber through the corresponding open bottom end upon a fall in the water level below the mean water level; an air outlet adjacent the top end of each chamber; an air inlet adjacent the top end of each chamber; an air exhaust for communicating with the ambient atmosphere at the installation site; an air intake for communicating with the ambient atmosphere at the installation site; a plurality of air outlet conduits, each air outlet conduit communicating with a correspond air outlet; a plurality of air inlet conduits, each air inlet conduit communicating with a corresponding air inlet; a first air turbine communicating with the air exhaust and with the air outlet conduits for being driven by air flowing out of each chamber through corresponding air outlets and moved through corresponding air outlet conduits in response to a rise in the water level in each corresponding chamber; a second air turbine communicating with the air intake and with the air inlet conduits for being driven by air flowing into each chamber through corresponding air inlets and moved through corresponding air inlet conduits in response to a fall in the water level in each corresponding chamber; a first valve communicating with each air outlet, each first valve being arranged for opening communication between corresponding chamber and a corresponding air outlet conduit upon a rise in the water level in the corresponding chamber, and for closing communication between the corresponding chamber and the corresponding air outlet conduit upon a fall in the water level in the corresponding chamber; a second valve communicating with each air inlet, each second valve being arranged for opening communication between a corresponding chamber and a corresponding air inlet conduit upon a fall in the water level in the corresponding chamber, and for closing communication between the corresponding chamber and the corresponding air inlet conduit upon a rise in the water level in the corresponding chamber; the field over which the chambers are arrayed having an area corresponding to the area of the body of water at the installation site such that upon placement of the apparatus at the installation site, air will flow simultaneously through at least some air outlet conduits and at least some air inlet conduits during rise and fall of the water level in corresponding chambers throughout the installation site, such that the first and second air turbines will be driven simultaneously substantially continuously by the flow of air simultaneously through the at least some air outlet conduits and the at least some air inlet conduits; and a generator of electrical power coupled to the first and second air turbines for generating electrical power in response to the driven first and second air turbines.