Breaking wave power generation

A breaking waves power generator includes a platform, a plurality of water wheels rotatably mounted within the platform, and a deck plate mounted within the platform. The water wheels include a plurality of vanes, blades, paddles, or buckets that, when impacted by breaking water waves, cause rotation of the water wheels. Breaking water waves can travel over the deck plate. The deck plate has an angular position and horizontal position relative to the platform that are adjustable to guide the breaking water waves so that the water waves break against the vanes, blades, paddles, or buckets of the water wheels, causing rotation of the water wheels from which power is generated. A ramp is connected to the platform in front of the water wheels, over which water is guided to the platform so that water waves break against the water wheels.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The field of the invention generally relates generation of power from breaking waves, and more particularly to power generation using water wheel technology to transform the kinetic energy of breaking waves into mechanical rotational energy (MRE).

BACKGROUND

Techniques for transforming the kinetic energy of moving water into mechanical rotational energy have been known for hundreds of years. When water moves at a sufficiently rapid rate, it creates harvestable amounts of kinetic energy. Many techniques have been used to transform the kinetic energy of such flowing water into mechanical rotational energy. Some mechanisms for carrying out these techniques, such as the water wheel, are very old.

The technology for using a water wheel to turn kinetic water energy into mechanical rotational energy is hundreds of years old. The Barbegal water wheel system is a good example. The source of its kinetic energy was a river flowing downhill. Many moving water kinetic energy sources have been used to power water wheels, where the moving water kinetic energy source is not breaking waves.

When a wave of water breaks, it releases a tremendous amount of kinetic energy, and the breaking wave continues to produce kinetic energy until all of the wave's potential energy has been turned into kinetic energy. Many devices have been designed to turn wave motion into mechanical rotational energy, where the kinetic force that is directly harnessed is not the force of a wave breaking.

SUMMARY

In one general aspect, the invention features a breaking waves power generator that includes a platform, at least one water wheel rotatably mounted within the platform, and a deck plate mounted within the platform. The water wheel includes a plurality of vanes, blades, paddles, or buckets that, when impacted by breaking water waves, cause rotation of the water wheel. Breaking water waves can travel over the deck plate. The deck plate has an angular position relative to the platform that is adjustable to guide the breaking water waves so that the water waves break against the vanes, blades, paddles, or buckets of the at least one water wheel, causing rotation of the water wheel from which power is generated.

In certain embodiments, there are a plurality of water wheels mounted within the platform, and the angular position and a horizontal position of the deck plate are adjustable to guide the breaking water waves so that the water waves break against the vanes, blades, paddles, or buckets of each of the plurality of water wheels. A ramp is connected to the platform in front of the water wheels, over which water is guided to the platform so that water waves break against the water wheels. An angular position and horizontal position of the ramp relative to the platform are adjustable to guide water to the platform so that water waves break against the water wheels. Two vertical walls are attached to sides of the ramp, the vertical walls extending upwards from the ramp through a surface of the water. At least a portion of the ramp may be flared outwardly away from the platform to create a funnel that channels water into the at least one water wheel. At least one ballast tank has an interior space into which water can be pumped to assist with angular lower of the ramp or out of which water can be pumped to assist with angular raising of the ramp. The deck plate is positioned underneath the water wheels. The water wheels have a radius greater than a maximum height of the breaking water waves, an axis of the water wheels being higher than the maximum height of the breaking water waves.

In another general aspect, the invention features a method for generating power from breaking waves that includes providing a platform, at least one water wheel mounted within the platform, comprising a plurality of vanes, blades, paddles, or buckets, and a deck plate mounted within the platform. The platform is positioned in water so that breaking water waves can travel over the deck plate. An angular position of the deck plate relative to the platform is adjusted to guide the breaking water waves so that the water waves break against the vanes, blades, paddles, or buckets of the at least one water wheel to cause rotation of the water wheel from which power is generated.

The details of various embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, a breaking waves power generator (BWPG)100according to the invention use water wheel technology to transform the kinetic energy of breaking waves into mechanical rotational energy. Similar to the Barbegal water wheel system, the breaking waves power generator uses a series of water wheels102to accomplish this goal. The water wheels102are placed in a series similar to the construction of a roller conveyer, one wheel behind the other. In this arrangement, wheels102are attached to a platform104. Water wheels102may be of a standard construction for such wheels as is known in the art, and may include two disk-shaped walls, on each side of the wheel, with a set of curved vanes mounted on a central axle between the two disk-shaped walls. Alternatively, water wheels102may be constructed using blades, paddles, or buckets instead of vanes as is known in the art. The water wheels are connected to electric power generators that transform the mechanical rotational energy into electric power.

Platform104consists of two rectangular walls106and108attached to two sides of rectangular base110. Walls106and108are attached to base110along respective sides of the length of the base. This construction is similar to a floating dry dock. Deck116fits within platform walls106and108, as is shown inFIG. 1. The series of water wheels102are placed between walls106and108of platform104. Each water wheel102has an axle, having ends112and114that are secured to the top of respective walls106and108, forming the sole attachment of each water wheel102to platform104. Axle ends112and114can fit within open grooves in the top of platform walls106and108, or, alternatively, can be attached to platform walls106and108by bearings in one particular embodiment, half of the diameter of each water wheel hangs below the tops of walls106and108.

The bottom of platform104includes rectangular base110and deck plate116, which is positioned on top of base110. Deck plate116extends the length of base110, and extends up to the inner sides of walls106and108. One end of deck plate116is attached and hinged within platform104along the width of the platform by hinge120, thereby allowing deck plate116to swing upward from base110. When deck plate116is swung upward from base110, an angle is created between base110and deck plate116. This angle causes the distance between the bottom of water wheels102and deck plate116to decrease from the hinged end of deck plate116to its other end.

The angle between base110and deck plate116, and the distance between deck plate116and base110at any given point along the length of deck plate116, is adjustable to ensure that waves that break into platform104continue to break along the length of the platform. Thus, deck plate116acts as a beach in the way that a beach causes waves to break all the way to shore.

A ramp118is attached to the end of platform104at which deck plate116is hinged to base110. Ramp118is attached to and hinged around the same hinge120as deck plate116, with ramp118and deck plate116having interleaving annular knuckles surrounding a central pin of hinge120, thereby allowing rotational adjustment of deck plate116and ramp118, independently of each other, around the central pin of hinge120. Ramp118extends outwardly from platform104and has a short rectangular portion154near platform104that extends to a flared portion152that flares outwardly as is shown inFIG. 1. Similar to deck plate116, ramp118can rotate upward or downward in relative to platform104. The short rectangular portion of ramp118near platform104ensures that as the angle of ramp118relative to platform104is adjusted, none of the flared portion of ramp118can jam within platform walls106and108. The angle of ramp118relative to horizontal causes incoming waves or swells of water to break directly into the leading water wheel. Ramp118widens as it extends outward from platform104. On each side of ramp118, walls122and124are attached to and extend along the length of ramp118. The height of ramp walls122and124at the point closest to platform104is the same as the height of platform walls106and108. More specifically, when ramp118is rotated to its highest upward position (which in some embodiments may be a horizontal position), the edges138of ramp walls112and124at the point closest to platform104are vertical and have the same height as platform walls106and108. In one embodiment of the invention, the angle θ between ramp the edges138of walls112and124and vertical should be the same as the angle θ between ramp118and horizontal. The height of ramp walls122and124increases as ramp walls122and124extend from platform104. This increase in height is determined by the greatest downward angle that ramp118can make relative to platform104. More specifically, when ramp118is at its greatest downward angle, the upper edges of ramp walls122and124are parallel to the surface of the water and are at the same height as the upper edges of platform walls106and108. The gaps between platform walls106and108on the one hand and, on the other hand, deck plate116, the short rectangular portion of ramp118, and water wheels102, are large enough to ensure that deck plate116, ramp118, and water wheels102are rotatable without interference from platform walls106and108.

If A is the height of platform walls106and108, and D is the length of ramp118, then the height of ramp walls122and124at the end of the length of ramp118should be A+B where B=sin (maximum θ)×D, so that when ramp is at its greatest downward angle (maximum θ) the tops of ramp walls122and124are at the same height as the tops of platforms walls106and108.

The above-described design creates a three-sided funnel, having a flat bottom, that channels incoming waves directly into the leading water wheel on platform104. Ramp118can be adjustably set at an angle that causes incoming waves to break directly into the leading water wheel.

Hinge120is movable in horizontally along a portion of the length of platform104. The horizontal position and angle of deck plate116can be adjustably set so as to keep waves breaking against all of the water wheels102along the length of platform104. The breaking waves are thus turned into a pulsating river flowing past the series of water wheels102through platform104, so that the kinetic energy of the breaking waves is transformed into mechanical rotational energy.

Hinge120can also be raised and lowered in addition to being moved horizontally. This movement helps adjust ramp118and deck plate116to cause the waves to break properly into and through the platform water wheels102. The horizontal movability of hinge120can accommodate different wave conditions, such as waves spaced relatively close to each other or spaced relatively far apart from each other, by allowing ramp118to be pushed farther out or pulled inwards to ensure that waves break into the first water wheel in a manner that causes the water wheel to absorb the greatest amount of energy.

The angle of ramp118can be set depending on the sizes of the waves. Generally, the larger the wave, the greater the depth of ramp118that is required to ensure that the wave does not mount up and break before it reaches the first water wheel.

In general, a human operator can adjust the angles of ramp118and deck plate116and the horizontal position of hinge120by observing conditions of the water and of the waves breaking against the water wheels, and can make adjustments accordingly, in a manner analogous to sailing a sailboat. For example, as waves become smaller, the human operator could move the ramp angularly upwards and also increase the angle of the deck plate relative to the rectangular base of the platform. Alternatively, this process could be automated through use of detectors and a processor that controls operation of the hydraulic lifts and gear drive described below.

With reference toFIG. 2, deck plate116is supported, near its longitudinal end farthest from hinge120, by a roller126connected by rod128to hydraulic lift130, which rests on rectangular base110. Deck plate116is illustrated inFIG. 2at a horizontal angle relative to rectangular base110, which might be appropriate for handling very large waves. Hydraulic lift130can raise rod128to lift roller126and thereby increase the angle of deck plate116relative to rectangular base110, and can lower rod128to lower roller126and thereby decrease the angle of deck plate116relative to rectangular base110. Hinge120is connected to a hydraulic lift134supported by a gear drive136having two wheels140,142, which gear drive136can be driven back and forth by electric motor, so that the height of hinge120and its horizontal position can be adjusted. Gear drive136allows hinge120to be adjustable horizontally in position throughout a range extending from the leftmost end of platform104to the position shown inFIG. 2.

As is shown inFIG. 2, rectangular base110extends slightly past a vertical edge144of walls106and108of platform104and has an extension146that is angled downward at a right angle relative to the main portion of rectangular base110. Extension146supports a hydraulic lift148that causes ramp118, along with ramp walls122and124attached thereto, to be raised or lowered via rod150.

With referenceFIG. 1, each of ramp walls122and124has a thickness sufficient to allow an interior space thereof to function as a ballast tank. Water can be pumped into the ballast tanks to assist with angular lowering of ramp118, and water can be pumped out of the ballast tanks to assist with angular raising of ramp118.

With reference toFIGS. 3 and 4, alternative designs of ramp118are illustrated.FIG. 3illustrates a ramp118having a short rectangular portion154as inFIGS. 1 and 2that extends to a flared portion152, which in turn extends to a larger rectangular portion156.FIG. 4illustrates a ramp118having a single rectangular portion158with no flared portion.

The dimensions of breaking waves power generator100are determined by the maximum height of the waves that the breaking waves power generator is designed to have break through it. The radii of water wheels102should be approximately one and a half times greater than the maximum height of the waves breaking through them. The radius of the water wheels must be greater than the maximum height of the breaking waves, so that the axis of each water wheel is higher than the top of the waves. This dimension is fixed, but other dimensions are variable. The various parts of the breaking waves power generator, such as the base and walls of platform104, ramp118and its walls, and wheels102, can be made of stainless steel, which is strong but inexpensive.

Platform104and ramp118of breaking waves power generator100form in essence an artificial reef that is designed to make waves break over it, and the series of water wheels102on top of the breaking waves turns the breaking waves into mechanical rotational energy.

The number of water wheels102can vary, from one breaking waves power generator to another, depending on the size of the wheels. Generally, the bigger the waves, the greater the number of wheels that can be used effectively. For larger waves, about ten to fifteen wheels might be appropriate. A set of approximately ten 25-foot-diameter wheels could probably handle ten-foot waves. 15-foot-diameter wheels might be appropriate for five-foot waves. Ramp118may have a length of about 100 or 200 feet in certain embodiments. The necessary length of platform104is dependent on the number and size of wheels mounted thereon. The width of platform104(and the widths of wheels102) can be limited only by the available space for the breaking waves power generator100. For example, if the breaking waves power generator is deployed on a ship, the width of platform104may be limited only by the available space on the ship. One of the advantages of using the breaking waves power generator offshore on a ship is that tides are not a concern. Swells on the ocean can form with high crests, and the dimensions of water wheels102can be determined based on the maximum height of waves at a particular location. There are very few waves higher than 50 feet, and, more realistically, the average highest height of waves on the open ocean would be around 30 feet at the extreme.

While particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications and combinations of the invention detailed in the text and drawings can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.