Patent Publication Number: US-2010109330-A1

Title: Installation For Producing Electrical Energy From Sea Waves Using the Basic Impulse Method

Description:
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of this invention is to develop and operate an installation for producing electrical energy from the impulse of sea waves, using both their horizontal translation movement and their vertical oscillatory movement in which the waves rise and fall. 
     FIELD OF THE ART 
     This invention lies within the sector of electrical energy production and is included in the Special Regime dedicated to generation of electrical power from renewable sources, as promoted by Royal Decree 2818/1998 of 32 December, European Union Directive 2001/77/EC of 27 September, Royal Decree 436/2004 and Royal Decree Law 7/ 2006. It is an innovative installation model in its various essential components, as it is different from other systems of this type, both national and international, not only by the system used but also by the yield supplied. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     This installation or system will be used to produce electrical energy from the energy of sea waves, using both their horizontal translation movement and their vertical oscillatory movement in both of its aspects, rising and falling ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 ) by means of the following components: 1) System support unit constituted by a float ( 0 ) with a lenticular shape that is attached to the seafloor by four pairs of cables ( 13 ), which in turn are anchored to their corresponding shoes ( 14 ); 2) Wave energy capture system, constituted by: a) A float ( 1 ) that can have any shape, in this case two truncated pyramids joined at their greater bases, which slides by the action of the waves along a column ( 4 ) fixed to the float ( 0 ) by a ball and socket cardan joint ( 2 ) and to the float ( 1 ) by the concertinered, flexible cylinder ( 3 ); b) Some articulated structures ( 10 ), in this case two, attached on one of their ends to the upper face of the float ( 1 ) and on their opposite end to the rectangular structure ( 8 ) that supports the generators ( 6 ); c) A series of horizontal beams ( 9 ), in this case four, in the form of a ladder from the top to the bottom of the float ( 1 ), which act by pulses on the catches of the inertia discs ( 7 ); e) On another hand, the column ( 4 ) is joined to the bottom part of the float ( 1 ) by a concertinered cylinder ( 3 ) made of a flexible material in order to allow the float ( 1 ) to move along said column ( 4 ); 3) Electrical energy generator unit constituted by: a) An even number of generators ( 6 ), in this case two or four, according to the structure of the waves, located inside the float ( 1 ) and attached to the column ( 4 ) by the rectangular structure ( 8 ); b) The inertia discs ( 7 ) associated to the generators ( 6 ), which have catches on which act a number of horizontal beams ( 9 ) that are attached to the float ( 1 ), anchored from top to bottom inside it, the action of these beams being used to transmit the motion to the generators ( 6 ). 
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     1) The support unit of the system constituted by the lenticular float ( 0 ) will be made of plastic or metallic materials, resistant to mechanical action and environmental factors as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 . 2) The anchoring of the assembly, constituted by the support cables ( 13 ) and the shoes ( 14 ), shall be made of steel or plastic strand wires, in the case of the former, and large blocks of reinforced concrete and/or cast iron, in the case of the latter, deposited on the seafloor as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 . 3) The sea-wave energy capture device constituted by the elements described above will be made of a plastic and/or metallic material resistant to mechanical action and environmental factors, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 . 4) The electrical energy generator units constituted by the inertia discs ( 7 ), associated to their corresponding generators ( 6 ), shall be built of and mounted on metallic and/or plastic materials that can withstand the mechanical action and environmental factors, as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 . 5) The system can be installed anywhere in the sea, with the following options: a) Offshore, as described; b) In shallow and medium-depth waters the attachment system may be replaced with a metal tower; c) On the shore, the attachment system will be replaced with a fixed structure; 6) Transportation of the electrical energy to shore will be performed by marine cables, at the required voltage, depending on the distance to the shoreline.