Patent ID: 7781903

Claim:
A wave energy converter (WEC) comprising: a float intended to lie along the surface of a body of water and designed to move generally in-phase with the waves present in the body of water; a spar-like element intended to float in the body of water, the spar like element tending to move up and down in a vertical direction in response to passing waves, generally out of phase relative to the waves; impeding means attached to the spar-like element for increasing the effective mass of the spar for stabilizing the spar, impeding, while still allowing, its up/down motion and causing it to drift down in still water; a cylinder attached to one of the spar-like element and said float; said cylinder for enabling air to be compressed, said cylinder being generally enclosed with at least one inlet port for allowing atmospheric air to be drawn into the cylinder and at least one outlet port for outputting compressed air; and a piston within the cylinder rigidly connected to the other one of the float and spar-like element whereby the piston compresses air within the cylinder as a function of the movement of the float relative to the spar-like element.