Patent ID: 7948107

Claim:
An energy conversion system for utilising power generated from a volume of non-static water, the system comprising: a support structure upstanding within a body of water subject to the occurrence of both wave motion and tidal flow, wherein the support structure includes a hollow column; one or more turbines arranged to be driven by the tidal flow for deriving usable power from the tidal flow and mounted for operation on the support structure, wherein said one or more turbines are arranged to be lengthways displaceable vertically or near vertically relative to the support structure between a submerged operating position and a position in which said one or more turbines project above a surface of the body of water; a wave energy extraction device to extract energy from the wave motion and disposed substantially internally of the hollow column of the support structure, the wave energy extraction device operationally supported relative to the support structure for deriving usable power from the wave motion independently from that derived from the tidal flow; and a transfer means for facilitating the transfer of such usable powers to a land based location, or for making some alternative use of such power elsewhere.