Abstract:
A paddle wheel-driven horizontal wave generator system which is situated on the ocean shore for converting shore waves to unidirectional rotational force for generating power. By the use of a pair of one-way clutches on a single power shaft the incoming and outgoing motion of ocean waves is converted into continuous unidirectional rotational force to drive an electric generator. The generator system is attached to a base having troughs. The lower portions of the paddle wheels are positioned in the troughs, and engage incoming and outgoing shore waves which rotate the axle of the paddle wheels in a clockwise and counterclockwise direction. The one-way clutches convert the bi-directional rotation of the paddle wheel axle to unidirectional rotation of the power shaft.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/090,295 filed Aug. 20, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety as if fully set forth below. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the invention 
     This invention relates generally to devices for generating power from horizontal motion and, more particularly, to an apparatus for generating power from the horizontal motion of incoming and outgoing ocean shore waves. 
     2. Technical background 
     Horizontal motion wave power generators for producing electricity from ocean shore waves are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,094 discloses a stationary wave generator that operates by an incoming shore wave moving a piston up and down in a cylinder. The piston engages a drive through a rack and pinion gear system which then engages a unidirectional rotary power shaft. The rack and pinion arrangement is subject to excessive wear. The piston and cylinder need constant maintenance and there needs to be a draining regulation mechanism. The device is useful only for incoming shore waves. Paddle wheel structures are well-known and are particularly useful for capturing the energy of water moving in one direction. As such, they are not suited to capture both the inflow and outflow energy of ocean shore waves. U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,644 discloses a surf driven electrical apparatus which has a shaft on a buoyant body with blades or paddles attached to the shaft. The paddles intercept an incoming ocean wave at a point where the surf breaks and receive the energy produced from the breaking wave, thereby rotating the shaft to operate an electric generator. This device captures the energy only from the incoming motion of the ocean surf. 
     What is needed, but which has never been available, is a paddle wheel system wherein both the incoming flow and the outgoing flow of the ocean shore waves are converted to unidirectional motion which can drive an electric generator. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a horizontal motion power generator system for converting the incoming and outgoing flow of ocean shore waves to unidirectional rotational force for generating power. The generator system has a base having one or more troughs. An axle is attached rotatably to the base and has one or more paddle wheels attached thereto. The lower portion of the paddle wheel is positioned in the trough so that the paddle wheel engages incoming and outgoing shore waves at the portion of the paddle wheel positioned in the trough. A single power shaft is attached rotatably to the base. First and second one-way clutches are fixed internally to the power shaft. A gear is fixed to the first one-way clutch, the gear is attached rotatably to the power shaft, and the gear engages a reverse gear fixed to the paddle wheel axle. A sprocket is fixed to the second one-way clutch, the sprocket is attached rotatably to the power shaft, and the sprocket engages a sprocket attached to the paddle wheel axle by means of a chain or cable. The second one-way clutch engages the power shaft as the flow of a wave, such as an incoming wave, rotates the paddle wheels in a first direction, thereby rotating the power shaft in a fixed direction, while the first clutch is disengaged from the power shaft. The first one-way clutch engages the power shaft as the flow of a wave, such as an outgoing wave, rotates the paddle wheels in a second opposite direction, thereby rotating the power shaft in the same fixed direction while the second clutch is disengaged from said power shaft. The power shaft is thus rotated in unidirectional manner by the paddle wheels as the paddle wheels rotate in a first direction and in a second opposite direction, thereby providing unidirectional rotational force from incoming and outgoing waves to drive a generator. A transmission with a flywheel is positioned between the power shaft and the generator. The transmission increases the speed of rotation from the power shaft to the generator. 
     An advantage of the wave motion power generator of the present invention is that it uses a single, simple power shaft to convert the inward and outward horizontal motion of shore waves into continuous unidirectional rotation. 
     Another advantage is the use of a pair of simple durable one-way clutches on the power shaft to convert inward and outward horizontal motion to unidirectional rotation. 
     Another advantage is the use of simple durable paddle wheels to capture the energy of horizontal inward and outward motion of shore waves. 
     Another advantage is a wave motion power generator system that can be scaled up to produce as much power output as desired. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates the horizontal wave power generating system of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates how the horizontal wave power generating system converts the back and forth flow of incoming and outgoing ocean shore waves into unidirectional rotation of a power shaft. 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of one type of one-way clutch that can be used on the power shaft. 
         FIG. 4  shows an example of a transmission that can be used to increase the speed of rotation from the power shaft to an electric generator. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the following description details the preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of the parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a paddle wheel driven electric wave generator system or apparatus which is situated on the ocean shore. The system has a power shaft with first and second one-way clutches arranged so that both clutches rotate the power shaft in a first direction when they are rotated in this first direction, but not at the same time. The clutches are disengaged when rotated in a second opposite direction, but not at the same time, in which case they do not rotate the power shaft. The first clutch is attached to a gear which is driven by a reverse gear on the axle of a paddle wheel. The second clutch is attached to a sprocket which is driven by a chain attached to a sprocket on the axle of the paddle wheel. As a shore wave comes in it turns the paddle wheel in a first direction, and the second clutch turns in the first direction which turns the power shaft in the first direction. The first clutch is turned in the opposite second direction and is disengaged. As the shore wave goes out it turns the paddle wheel in the second opposite direction, and the first clutch is turned in the first direction which turns the power shaft in the first direction. The second clutch turns in the opposite second direction and is disengaged. Thus, the inward and outward horizontal flows of the shore waves are converted into unidirectional rotation of the power shaft. The power shaft can be connected to an electric generator through a transmission, thereby producing electric current. 
       FIG. 1  provides a diagrammatic illustration of preferred embodiment of the present invention which can convert the horizontal motion of shore waves into electric energy. The shore wave generator system  70  has a concrete base  71  with troughs  72 . Paddle wheels  73  are positioned within troughs  72  and are fixed to a drive axle  74  connected rotatably to vertical supports  75  by means of bearings  90 . Vertical supports  75  are fixed to concrete base  71 . Axle  74  has a reverse gear  76  and a sprocket  77  which are fixed to axle  74 . Adjacent axle  74  is a power shaft  78  connected rotatably to vertical supports  80  by means of bearings  79 . Vertical supports  80  are fixed to concrete base  71 . In this figure one-way clutches  81 ,  84  are shown attached to the power shaft  78  in such a way that they engage when rotated clockwise and disengage when rotated counterclockwise, but not at the same time. They can also be attached to work in a reverse manner if desired. A gear  82  is attached to clutch  81 . Gear  82  is also attached to a bearing  83 , and bearing  83  is attached to power shaft  78 . Bearing  83  supports gear  82  on power shaft  78  and allows gear  82  to rotate on power shaft  78 . Likewise, attached to clutch  84  is a sprocket  85  attached to bearing  86  which is attached to power shaft  78 . Bearing  86  supports sprocket  85  on power shaft  78  allowing sprocket  85  to rotate on power shaft  78 . In this manner the gear  82  and sprocket  85  are attached rotatably to power shaft  78  while being attached fixedly to clutches  81  and  84 , respectively. Power shaft  78  also has a power pulley  88 . Gear  76  on axle  74  engages gear  82  on power shaft  78 . Sprocket  77  on axle  74  engages sprocket  85  on power shaft  78  by means of chain or cable  87 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a diagram of how the shore wave generator system  70  ( FIG. 1 ) converts the back and forth horizontal motion of incoming and outgoing shore waves into unidirectional rotation of power shaft  78 . With an incoming wave, paddle wheels  73  engage the wave in troughs  72  ( FIG. 1 ), rotate clockwise, and cause axle  74  to rotate clockwise. This causes gear  76  and sprocket  77  to rotate clockwise. As gear  76  rotates clockwise, gear  82  on power shaft  78  rotates counterclockwise, which makes clutch  81  (a first clutch) rotate counterclockwise, thus, disengaging clutch  81  ( FIG. 1 ). As sprocket  77  rotates clockwise, sprocket  85  on power shaft  78  rotates clockwise, which makes a second clutch  84  ( FIG. 1 ) on power shaft  78  rotate clockwise, thus, making power shaft  78  rotate clockwise. With an outgoing wave, paddle wheels  73  engage the wave in troughs  72 , rotate counterclockwise, and cause axle  74  to rotate counterclockwise ( FIG. 1 ). This causes gear  76  and sprocket  77  to rotate counterclockwise. As gear  76  rotates counterclockwise, gear  82  on power shaft  78  rotates clockwise. As gear  82  rotates clockwise it makes clutch  81  on power shaft  78  rotate clockwise, thus, making power shaft  78  rotate clockwise. As sprocket  77  rotates counterclockwise, sprocket  85  on power shaft  78  rotates counterclockwise, which makes clutch  84  rotate counterclockwise, thus, disengaging clutch  84 . Power shaft  78  can be connected to a transmission by means of power pulley  88  to drive an electric generator, as described below in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of one type of one-way clutch that could be used as clutch  81  or  84 . The clutch  81  in this example has a pawl-wheel  40  which is fixed to power shaft  78 . Ratchet pawls  41  are attached rotatably to pawl-wheel  40  and are biased away from pawl-wheel  40  by springs  42 . Surrounding pawl-wheel  40  is an outer casing  43  having saw-tooth elements  44  on its inner circumference. The gear  82  or sprocket  85  can be fixed to outer casing  43 . As the gear or sprocket rotates clockwise the outer casing  43  rotates clockwise. As the outer casing  43  rotates clockwise the saw-teeth  44  engage the ratchet-pawls  41 , causing the power shaft  78  to rotate clockwise. As the sprocket rotates counterclockwise the outer casing  43  rotates counterclockwise. As the outer casing  43  rotates counterclockwise the saw-teeth  44  slip freely over the ratchet-pawls  41 , causing the clutch to be disengaged and no rotational force is applied to power shaft  78 . The one-way clutch can be configured to operate in a reverse manner. 
       FIG. 4  shows an example of how power shaft  78  can be connected to an electric generator  65  by means of a transmission  52  to increase the speed of rotation from the power shaft  78  to the electric generator  65 . Power shaft  78  can have a large power pulley  88  which transmits the unidirectional rotational force of power shaft  78  to a smaller first pulley  55  on a first shaft  53  of transmission  52  by means of belt  51 . First shaft  53  is held in place on concrete base  71  by bearings  54  (see  FIG. 1 ). First shaft  53  has a large pulley  56  which transmits the unidirectional rotational force to a smaller second pulley  60  on a second shaft  58  of transmission  52  by means of belt  57 . Second shaft  58  is held in place on concrete base  71  by bearings  59  (see  FIG. 1 ). Second shaft  58  can have a flywheel  63  to maintain a constant rotation of shaft  58 . Shaft  58  also has a large pulley  61  which transmits the unidirectional rotational force to a smaller pulley  64  on an electric generator  65  by means of belt  62 . Thus, as power shaft  78  is made to rotate clockwise at about 5 to 10 times per minute, depending upon the frequency of shore waves moving inward and outward, transmission  52  can make electric generator  65  turn at speeds as high as 2000 rpm. 
     The foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments of this invention. It will be apparent; however, that variations and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the disclosed embodiments of the invention, with the attainment of some or all of its advantages and without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the horizontal motion wave power generator  70  ( FIG. 1 ) of the present invention can be scaled up to any desirable size. As many paddle wheels as desired can be attached to a power shaft. Other types of one-way clutches can be used, such as Sprague clutches and Reynolds clutches. The horizontal motion wave power generator can generate pressure power in addition to electric power. The paddle wheels  73  and the base  71  can be constructed of any suitable materials, including metals, plastics, wood, or a combination thereof. 
     It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.