Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    It has long been recognized that the ocean has great potential for developing energy using environmentally friendly methods. Since the 1800&#39;s the art has examples of ocean waves being used to harness power. Generally, attempts to harness power from the ocean can be divided into two categories. Attempts have been made to use the forward motion of either waves or underwater currents to push paddles or the like that drive turbines. U.S. Pat. No. 675,039 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,887,316 are among the earliest types of these. The second main category is to use the up and down motion of the ocean waves or swells. These methods, while using ocean power initially to drive the system, are most favorable designed when they are less damaging to marine life. This is where the most recent work is being done. 
         [0002]    There have been many attempts to use the up and down motion of ocean water to harness power and these can generally be divided into three main categories. The Tapered Channel or Oscillating Water Columns (OSC) methods generally use waves to push air through chambers to drive turbines, U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,316 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,534 are examples of these. Some of these recent methods use the forces generated by the sea very efficiently. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,225 the air movement created in both the forward motion of the wave and receding motion of the wave is harnessed using a Wells turbine (U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,538). Overtopping methods use water that drop from a higher elevation to drive turbines, the Wave Dragon (www.wavedragon.net) is an example of this type of method. Power buoys use elevation changes inside a buoy to generate power, U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,375 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,765,307 are examples of these. 
         [0003]    While most of these are in experimental stages at this point, one can see problems with many of these methods. Tapered Channel or Oscillating Water Columns usually are deployed at the shoreline, prime real estate in many parts of the world. Overtopping systems can be deployed at sea but most of their working components come in direct contact with corrosive ocean water. While some of the buoy systems house their working components inside a closed buoy, the advantage these systems gain is in direct relation to the relatively small distance traveled during the up and down movement of the buoy on the wave. 
         [0004]    Since wave heights and ocean swells very widely throughout the world but most generally average two to four meters (a relatively small amount) some attempts have been made to increase this relatively small movement by using some sort of mechanical advantage, U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,957 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,636 are examples of these. While wave heights can be mostly counted on to be fairly consistent at one location, at certain times, intervals of smaller waves can be encountered and any mechanical advantage should be able to be changed to reflect these conditions. During storms and such, methods to disconnect from these extreme circumstances have to also be explored. 
         [0005]    While some of these prior devices have some parts of their systems that work somewhat well to harness the oceans energy to produce power, all these prior devices have reasons to be commercially unacceptable. It would therefore be a significant advance of the art to provide a device that uses the environmental friendly method of using ocean waves to harness electric power while at the same time being benign to marine life. It would also be a significant advance of the art to be able to deploy this method off shore on either sea bed attached or floating platforms and use non-corrosive air to drive turbines in both directions using Wells type turbines. It would be a further advance in the art if the relatively small forces contained in the up and down movements of waves could be multiplied using some sort of mechanical advance to produce more power per unit (cycle) while at the same time providing for an adjustment at times of calm seas as well as a disconnect from the powerful forces of the ocean when conditions warrant. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    This present invention relates generally to the conversion of ocean wave action to electricity, and more particularly to a device that uses the power of ocean waves to produce large volumes of air and funnel that air to drive turbines that generate electrical power. 
         [0007]    In particular one object of the invention is to provide an environmental friendly and benign to sea life device for producing electrical power from ocean waves. 
         [0008]    Another object is to ensure this device can be used off shore on floating platforms or attached to the sea bed where many such devices could be grouped together. 
         [0009]    Another object is to provide for a device that minimizes direct contact with the ocean water but rather uses a float (which is the only direct contact with the water) to drive a piston that moves air in large volumes to run turbines and in which said device is made up from a relatively few moving parts and most of these parts are not in contact with the corrosive nature of sea water. 
         [0010]    Another object is being able to produce power from generators driven by turbines that are themselves being driven by forced air that moves thru the turbines in both directions. 
         [0011]    Still another object is to harness the relatively small wave movements in such a way that these movements could be multiplied using a mechanical advantage to produce large amounts of air movement. 
         [0012]    Another object is to be able to modified the mechanical advantage when small waves are present. 
         [0013]    Another object is to be able to disconnect the device when rough seas or extremely large waves are present. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a front view of the device showing the piston in the down position and showing the device attached to the sea bed using legs. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the device showing the piston in the down position but shown as a floating barge. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the device showing the piston in the up position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the device with the piston shown in the down position. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a close up view of the float and pivot connection shown in perspective. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a close up view of the piston head and cylinder wall shown in the perspective. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the device showing the air movement as the piston moves up through the cylinder. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a front view of the device showing the air movement as the piston moves down though the cylinder. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    In  FIG. 1  platform  5  is shown in ocean attached to sea bed with legs  6 .  FIG. 1  also shows the main working parts of the device. A lever arm  20  is attached to the platform  5  at pivot point  7 . A float  13  is attached to one end of the lever arm  20  at pivot point  17  and a piston rod  23  is attached to the other end at attachment point  24 . On one end of the piston rod  23  is the a piston head  25 . The piston rod  23  goes into cylinder  31  thru air tight membrane  34  in cylinder top  33 . This cylinder  31  is attached to the platform at a connection point  32 , which is a certain fixed distance from pivot point  7 . The cylinder  31  is attached to the platform at an angle relative to the movement of the piston. Top air duct  42  is attached to cylinder  31  at top cylinder outlet  36 . Bottom air duct  43  is attached to cylinder  31  at bottom cylinder outlet  37 .  FIG. 4  shows better the air duct connections. Top air duct  42  is connected to top turbine  53  and to top air release duct  48  which connects to top air vent  50 . Bottom air duct  43  is connected to bottom turbine  54  and to bottom air release duct  49  which connects to bottom air vent  51 . Top generator  57  is connected to top turbine  53  by shaft  55  and power cable  59  is attached to the top generator. Bottom generator  58  is connected to bottom turbine  54  by shaft  56  and power cable  60  is attached to the bottom generator. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2 . shows the working mode of the device. In this depiction the platform  5  is a floating barge that is heavy enough that it only moves minimally with the up and down motion of the ocean&#39;s waves. The lever arm  20  acts as a see saw. The float  13  is in direct communication with the water at the bottom of the float  14 . As waves move into the float area the wave crest pushes the float up which causes the lever arm  20  to pivot at pivot point  7  and the top of the lever arm  24  goes down pushing the piston  23  and the piston head  25  down thru the cylinder  31 .  FIG. 3  shows the device as the wave trough moves into the float area. The float drops vertically causing the lever arm  20  to pivot at pivot point  7  and the top of the lever arm  24  goes up pulling the piston  23  and the piston head  25  up thru the cylinder  31 . As piston  23  and piston head  25  move up and down in the cylinder  31 , it is in direct contact with the cylinder walls.  FIG. 6  shows a neoprene 0-ring  26  that is attached to piston head  25 . This allows for an air tight seal between piston head  25  and the walls of the cylinder which further allows for all the air in the cylinder to be pushed out of the cylinder thru either the top or bottom outlet holes. 
         [0024]      FIG. 8  shows the piston  23  and the piston head  25  moving down thru the cylinder  31 , shown by arrow E. The direction of the air that is pushed in front of the piston head is indicated by arrow B. The air is forced out bottom cylinder outlet  37  thru bottom duct  43  thru bottom turbine  54  thru bottom air release duct  49  and bottom vent  51  to outside air. This action causes bottom turbine  54  to spin. As the falling piston head  25  pushes the air down thru the cylinder a vacuum in created behind the piston head. Arrow A shows the direction of air being sucked into the vacuum that is created. From the outside, air goes thru top vent  50  and top air release duct  48  thru top turbine  53  on thru top duct  43  and into cylinder  31  via top cylinder outlet  36 . This action causes top turbine  53  to spin. 
         [0025]      FIG. 7  shows the piston  23  and piston head  25  being pulled up thru the cylinder  31 , shown by arrow F. As the piston head  25  rises the air is pushed up and as indicated by arrow C the air is forced out top cylinder outlet  36  thru top duct  42  thru top turbine  53  thru top air release duct  48  and top vent  50  to outside air. This action causes top turbine  53  to spin. As the rising piston head  25  pushes the air up thru the cylinder  31  a vacuum is created behind the piston head. Arrow D shows the direction that this air travels as it is sucked into the vacuum that is created by this rising piston head. From the outside, air travels thru bottom vent  51  and bottom air release duct  49  thru bottom turbine  54  on thru bottom duct  43  and into cylinder  31  via bottom cylinder outlet  37 . This action causes bottom turbine  54  to spin. In the described embodiment air travels thru both the top and bottom turbines in both directions as it is either being pushed out or sucked in. The use of the Wells turbine allows for the turbine to spin in only one direction irrespective of which direction the air flows. 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  shows the top turbine  53  in direct connection to top generator  57  thru connection  55 . As top turbine spins, it spins top generator and produces electricity. This electricity is then sent through cable  59  under water to the power grid. Bottom turbine  54  is in direct connection to bottom generator  58  thru connection  56 . As bottom turbine spins, it spins bottom generator and produces electricity. Electrical power from bottom generator runs thru bottom cable  60  and on to the power grid. 
         [0027]    As the up and down motion of the ocean waves is continuous, so to is the see saw action of the lever arm and the up and down motion of the piston pushing and sucking air thru the Wells turbines producing constant electrical power. The float  13  must maintain contact with the ocean waves to assure this.  FIG. 5  shows hinged float connection to lever arm. Bearings  17 A and  17 B are attached to the top of the float  13 . Bearing shaft  18  goes from bearing  17 A thru lever arm  20  at bushing hole  19  to bearing  17 B. This assures the float  13  is always in direct contact with the water. It also provides for a place where a disconnection of the device can be accomplished. By removing shaft  18  the float  13  can be removed during storms or extremely rough seas. Without the float to drive the lever arm the device will stop. 
         [0028]    As with rough seas, adjustments to the device can also be implemented at times of calm seas.  FIG. 5  shows the pivot point connection to lever arm  20 . The pivot is a connection much like the connection of the float  13  to lever arm  20 . Bearings  9  and  9 A are attached to the platform  5 . Pivot bearing shaft  10  goes from bearing  9  thru lever arm  20  at bushing hole  11  to bearing  9 A. At times of the calm seas the whole pivot bearing assembly can be moved and pivot bearing shaft  10  can be moved to bushing hole  12  in lever arm  20 . At the same time bearings  9  and  9 A are moved to and attached to platform  5  at a connection point  8 . This will allow the piston to still travel the same distance thru the cylinder even through the float is now moving a shorter vertical distance. 
         [0029]    As more air flows thru a turbine larger turbines can be used making larger amounts of power. The amount of air flowing thru the turbines of this device is in direct correlation to the diameter of the cylinder as well as the height of the cylinder, more specifically the distance the piston head travels thru the cylinder. As more air is displaced in front of the piston head and behind the piston head as it moves thru the cylinder, more air is directed thru the turbines. In order to achieve the maximum amount of air movement thru the turbines a mechanical advantage is employed. This device is designed to operate at various wave heights, with optimal heights being seas of 4′-8′.  FIG. 1  shows length of lever arm  20  between pivot point  7  and float  13  being a distance x. The distance between pivot point  7  and piston connection to lever arm  24  is distance  4   x . This allows the piston to move thru the cylinder 16′-32′ in seas of 4′-8′. While this is the shown embodiment, even greater mechanical advantages could be used. When greater mechanical advantages are used both the weight of the float and the size of float have to be adjusted. Both the weight and size of the float and its relationship to its distance from the pivot point are governed by well understood principles of physics. 
         [0030]    While the above is the preferred embodiment of the invention, many modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art and these should be considered within the scope spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Technology Category: 2